We in the convent have our little Christmas traditions, just the way families have theirs. Ours may be a little more hybrid than most, since (a) they have quite an interesting parentage and (b) institutes have really long memories. Lots of our Daughters of St. Paul Christmas traditions are Italian in origin. They stuck around not only because they were "institutionalized," but because for a good 40 years 50% or more of our community was made up of Italian sisters. So from the day I entered, I learned Italian Christmas carols ("Dormi, Dormi, bel bambin' " anyone? What about "Tu scende dalle stelle?" a "Ninna nanna" or two?) to be sung around the creche (presepio) after Midnight Mass (which, thankfully, was rarely at midnight). Then we had cookies or Sr. Antoinette's fruitcake and hot cocoa and went to see what little gifts "Baby Jesus" left under our pillows in the dorm. For Christmas dinner, we had a first course of ravioli or lasagne, and then a full meal after that. (Breakfast was pannetone, which seemed to be nothing but a course, crumbly, dry bread with candied fruits in it--and so I thought for years, until I finally tasted fresh pannetone, which is out of this world...but not as good as "pandoro".) And Christmas Vespers was always a service of carols. One tradition that was never an Italian Christmas tradition, but became ours is having polenta and sausage for Christmas Eve supper. It was a way our Italian sisters remembered that the Founder used to stir the polenta pot with a wooden spoon in one hand, while the other hand held a book--from which he was teaching a class at the same time!
This year in Chicago, we had polenta and sausage before the "Midnight" Mass (at 9:00), followed by pie and cocoa at home. Gifts were under the tree (convent gift-giving is often a "regifting" process!), and there was a fresh pannetone to be had for breakfast. No ravioli for dinner, though. (Heck, we even used to have a first course of ravioli in the convent for Thanksgiving!) And Carols for evening prayer. But so far, amazingly, none in Italian (save the two we sang at Mt. Carmel last night).
What about your traditions?
4 comments:
Even following Katrina, we have one tradition that remains unchanged: The post-prandial Scrabble game. This year, our new brother-in-law was indoctrinated. He had no idea what he was getting into. To us, Scrabble is almost a contact sport. Although Nell had the prime position right behind Aunt ("I'll just help the board and open things up") Toodie, I was victorious. In what looks to be a new tradition, Jim didn't open his gifts, opting instead to pass them to Jane. "She enjoys it so much! Look at her smile!" harv681
Nice recap of the FSP Christmas traditions!
Our traditions have adapted over the course of time with changes in family settings and various life transitions, yet for some the core has remained. And now some of our earliest Christmas practices are being continued for the next generation, like Midnight Mass.
One of the changes is that we didn't really celebrate Christmas Eve when I was growing up. The celebration of Christmas started with Midnight Mass (ok, with the hour of carols preceding Mass) and continued right up to Epiphany (and sometimes beyond depending on when my cousins made their annual visit).
Now as an adult, however, I've started celebrating Christmas Eve, beginning with dinner and have adopted a modified version of the seven fish dinner.
It's become quite a joy to prepare the meal and good eats each year and this year we extended it by holding over the entree fish, catfish, to have with Christmas breakfast which this year was scrambled eggs, bacon, grits, and fried catfish (and fresh brewed coffee and ice cold orange juice).
One longstanding tradition in our family is taking time on the holiday to play family games, usually board games, words games like Scrabble or Boggle (my late grandmother's very favorite) or board games like Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit or Yahtzee (my other late grandmother's favorite). One year, at my uncle's sister's house, we played a modified family version of Pictionary. Another family custom is singing accompanied by guitar, piano, or accordion with lots of impromptu harmonies added...
Hi, Sr. Anne, thanks for sharing the FSP Christmas tradition. It does bring back a bit of memory of my celebration when I was in Boston. Now, being in Rome, of course something do sound familiar. However, this year was a little bit different for me. We do have Polenta for lunch the day before Christmas eve (frankly, I always find it too much for my stomach as much as I enjoy italian food). For midnight mass, most of us go our own ways, and for me, the grace of attending Mass with the Pope and with my family. I didn't get to be with the sisters for singing carols by the presepio since I was the last to arrive home, but did not miss the homemade hot chocolate which is out of this world. I broke the tradition of having Christmas lunch in the community and the opening of gifts because i was out with my family. So, I guess, the tradition....
Well, Happy Christmas (I know I am late but still we are before Epiphany) to you and all the sisters!
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