Traditions by Diane Burton

My favorite aspect of this time of year is watching our grandkids in their pageants and programs. Our oldest granddaughter (12) is a dancer. After a three-year hiatus, her dance studio put on The Nutcracker last weekend. I love seeing her wide smile as she danced in “Chocolate” (the Spanish dance) and in “The Waltz of the Flowers.” Her love of dancing shines through that smile.

The first performance of Tchaikovsky’s ballet in 1892 was not a success. But starting in the 1960’s, it became a Christmas tradition. When our granddaughter was four, she danced as a flower, and I fell in love with the music all over again. But I never knew the story of a nutcracker who came to life and the little girl (Clara) who fell in love with him. (See how I made this post relevant to Paranormal Romantics? 😊)

 My mother-in-law gave me a traditional nutcracker back in the 1980s. The figure started a collection that’s now over a hundred. When I discovered I couldn’t stop family from giving them to me for Christmas and birthdays, I tried to limit them to one per year. Sometimes they listened.

 

a few of my nutcrackers

When we find something someone likes, we tend to go overboard. LOL

 

more nutcrackers

Our grandson (almost 10) is quite a dancer, too. For the Christmas pageant at church last Sunday, he really got into the party dance. The program was a fun interpretation of the Christmas story. I enjoyed seeing how enthusiastic he and the other children were as the shepherds went on trial for disturbing the peace.

Making the old relevant. Turning tradition on its ear. Pushing the envelope.

I’ve never been rule-bound or a tradition activist. Yet at this time of year, I enjoy traditions. I like putting up and decorating a tree. I enjoy listening to holiday music. Just not before Thanksgiving. 😊 I love watching my grandchildren participate in the Christmas story. But I also enjoy seeing different aspects of the holiday. We can get complacent when we see the same program each year. Our minds drift instead of paying attention to the message. I hate to say this, but sometimes I’m so busy watching my grandkids that I’m oblivious to the story itself.

If you enjoy reading holiday stories, Romance Rekindled is a spin-off from my Alex O'Hara mysteries. 

Amazon  http://a.co/jlmHYD2

No matter what your beliefs or traditions, I hope you enjoy the holidays. 

P.S. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you might have noticed I was AWOL on the 1^st. My apologies. I got caught up with “life” and missed my posting date.

See you next year.