Family Matters
From secret recipes to traditions so old they’ve become secrets, it all starts with family.
The Mystery of Traditions
Nathan Kelley (Media) has a family tradition that goes beyond living memory.
Here’s what he has to say: “On Christmas Eve, my entire family on my dad’s side each lights a single candle at dusk. We asked my grandma who is 93 why we do this, or what the origin for it is. She has no idea. She said her family has just done it forever, so we’ve been continuing it. She did say it’s about bringing you good luck for next year, but there isn’t a specific reason why.” — Nathan
A Different Kind of Holiday Card
Every year for Christmas, Abby Giesecke’s (Creative) Grammy and Grampy would buy scratch-off cards and hide them under their dinner plates. As Abby and her sister got older, they caught on and would immediately look under their plates to see if a card was there (it always was).
“Everyone in my family would scratch them off at the same time, and if you won anything, you would shout it out. Our winnings typically consisted of $1 and $2, but one year my sister won $50!” — Abby
Deliciously Swedish
Kathy Baldauf (Marketing Communications) cooks up something warm and delicious for her family every year on Christmas Day. They can’t get enough of her Swedish meatballs, no trip to Ikea required.
Birthdays and Baubles
Sometimes you get to celebrate more than just a holiday, like Chrisy Celestin’s (Creative) family. Her younger sister’s birthday is December 25, so Chrisy grew up decorating a birthday tree alongside the family Christmas tree.
