Family Traditions

Do you have any family traditions? Something you do together every year. Something special that gets everyone involved and builds on commonly shared values. I’m not talking about the family reunion where you go see relatives that you hardly know and make small talk about what you’ve been up to for the last 364 days. I mean the kind of tradition where you get together with the people that matter the most to you. You come together in an activity or a place that is special to you and participate in the celebration of your lives together. After all, life is challenging, and these people are the ones that you travel alongside on the journey.

Our family tradition started a few years back. Being from a big family it’s hard to get everyone together at the same time. As everyone grows up and starts their own families it gets increasingly harder to coordinate schedules. We agreed to set aside Christmas Eve supper as a special time that we would all get together. The menu is breakfast, and the setting is formal, though the attire varies from fancy to pajamas, depending on the year.

This past Christmas Eve one of our family members was sick and unable to attend. We still held our traditional dinner on Christmas Eve, but we also decided to do a second take on the tradition in February when they could attend. The important part of the tradition is not the legality of the day, but rather the gathering of those that you care about.

We take this opportunity to set the table using heirlooms and collectables. Why have nice things just to look at and collect? They’re just things. Instead, make memories using these ‘things’ with the ones you love. So, years down the road when my daughter is handed down Granny’s teapot or my nephew’s wife is handed down the antique napkins, they will have precious memories attached to each ‘thing’.

We set the table using gold chargers from my sister’s wedding. The plates and teacups are my mother’s Old Country Rose pieces. She started collecting them after she lived in Canada for a few years. Royal Albert China, and specifically the Old Country Rose pattern, seemed to be a staple among her friends in Fort McMurry. Collecting these pieces brings back fond memories for her and she loves being able to share these pieces and memories with her family.

Can we talk about napkins for a second? My grandmother passed down these napkins to my mother decades ago. I love that they have the ties to my grandmother, that they are dainty, and that they weave our family’s name into the tapestry of the table setting.

We use gold silverware at most formal family functions. They are beautiful and timeless and tie in perfectly with the gold rimmed bone china. I have to smile every time I take them out of the box and set the table. My mother purchased these decades ago for a formal Thanksgiving dinner we were hosting. I remember that her and I ran to K-Mart for a ‘blue light special’ on Thanksgiving Day. They may have been a last-minute purchase at the time, but they have been used and loved for years. So side note, if your debating making a purchase that can be used for years to come, do it! Your future self will thank you.

Pro Tip: Anything, and I mean anything, tastes better in crystal. If you have some old pieces of crystal stored away, go to your attic immediately. Find the box and pull out the crystal. Wash the glasses and pour yourself a big glass of your favorite beverage. Go sit in your favorite spot, prop up your feet, and indulge in a sip, savor it, the smoothness and flavor are unmatched. Your life will be changed for the better.

When we have our Christmas Eve supper, we make coffee a priority. After all, the theme is breakfast. We fill our teacups with coffee and savor the delicious flavor and the fancy feelings.

While we love to host a party and revel in the fancy, we do not and will not sacrifice flavor. Food is to be taken seriously and calories are not to be wasted. Each of us bring a breakfast item and all the food is laid out in the center of the table. We have a wide variety of foods that include, quiche, breakfast casseroles, cinnamon rolls, biscuits and gravy, fruit and all the juices and coffee you can stand.

Can you really call it breakfast in the south without biscuits and gravy?

The most delicious Everything Bagel casserole served up perfectly in a Christmas platter.

Let’s just stop for a moment to appreciate the butter in all of its glory. I discovered these butter sculptures at our local supermarket this Thanksgiving and was pleasantly surprised to discover that they also sculpted Christmas trees. How fun and a simple way to add some ‘extra’ to your table.

Yall, this sausage breakfast casserole is bomb. Who knew that bell peppers and breakfast sausage paired together so nicely? In case you were wondering, a bell pepper has more than double the amount of vitamin C that a cup of orange juice has. There’s your random fact for the day.

Quiche is a staple in our house. The kids love it, we love it, and its a no-fail recipe. This is my go-to meal when we have guests over for the weekend. The ingredients are easy to keep on hand and it’s a dish that even the pickiest of eaters enjoy. If I want to elevate the look, I serve the quiche on a cake stand. Simple and elegant, the perfect combination.

The best part of the evening is when everyone is done eating and you’re lingering at the table sipping coffee and enjoying one another’s company. Something about this moment makes the coffee taste better and the experience more enjoyable.

After the table is cleared and the dishes are put away, we typically gather back around the table to play a game. Whether its dominoes, cards, or a board game, it’s always entertaining. This particular night we played bingo, something that old and young alike enjoyed. It was the perfect ending to a perfect night.

Go make memories with your loved ones. Take something simple like dinner and dress it up a bit. Make it special. You’ll create lasting memories with those that mean the most to you.

Oh, and use the crystal.

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Table Setting Details with Links or Similar

Gold Charger - Gold plastic charger that I use frequently for events. Used multiple times a year and holds up well.

Royal Albert Old Country Rose China - Beautiful set. Etsy and estate sales are also great resources (and a little more fun).

Gold Flatware - The set we use is from K-Mart but this is a similar set.

Custom Dinner Napkin with Monogram - Love everything about this set. A timeless addition to your entertaining collection that you will not regret.

Waterford Lismore Stemless Wine Glass - This is my favorite glass of all time. I use it every single day. I also have been collecting other styles in the collection and use them as well, but this specific glass is a must have!

Lovely Valentine Table Setting

Setting the table can be overwhelming at times. Usually, we leave the table empty and grab from the stack of paper plates in the cabinet to make life easier. And that’s OK! But one of my favorite things is to set the table, complete with chargers, China, crystal, and centerpieces, oh my!

If your kids are like mine, they tend to eat like wild animals more often than not. We are forever reminding my dear son that his collar and his sleeve are not intended to wipe his face and hands. We’ve tried paper napkins and paper towels but alas he always goes for his shirt before the paper towel. So last year I thought I would try something different. Something to kill two birds with one stone if you will. I went to Homegoods, the place that makes dreams come true, and invested in cloth napkins. I already had all that was needed for a nice, elegant place setting. I went home pulled out the 4 Cs (chargers, China, crystal, and centerpieces) and got to work setting the table. That evening we sat down as a family of four to dinner. I gave a brief lesson in etiquette, we politely put the napkins in our laps, selected the proper fork and embarked on a new adventure. The kids took fancy eating seriously. It worked! Their dinner manners calmed down and I was saved the weekly chore of soaking shirts in OxiClean.

Ever since that day I’ve tried to keep the table set in order to add an element of ‘extra’ to the dinner table.

Romantic table setting for Valentine’s Day

For the month of February, I wanted something whimsical and romantic. I also wanted to use things that I already had. I started with the rose gold chargers and added China plates that I inherited from my mother. The crystal glasses I scored at Sam’s Club many years ago and have been a great addition to any table setting.

Bow Napkin

I’ve been collecting pink depression pieces for the last few years and I love any opportunity to incorporate it into my decorations.

Pink depression platter

The napkins were gifted to me last year and go with pretty much everything. I copied an Instagram reel for folding the napkins and I think it adds the perfect feminine touch.

I’m looking forward to sitting at the dinner table with my family and enjoying this sweet space. I encourage you to look through your own things and try to create a space that is warm and inviting. Start collecting staple pieces that you can build on. Enjoy a special time with family and friends in fellowship.