Life University Staff Council Newsletter Volume7Issue4 | Page 7

Holiday Traditions:

Staff Newsletter Team
No matter what you celebrate, the holiday season is a time we look forward to all year. For
you to get to know us better, the staff newsletter team has shared our own family holiday
traditions and a few holiday recipes. The holidays mentioned include Thanksgiving, Christmas
and Hanukkah. We hope this puts you in the holiday spirit!
ELIZABETH’S TRADITIONS:
I grew up in New Orleans, where food and family meant
everything. Even in our small home, there was always room for
family and friends to gather and celebrate. At Christmas time,
we sat together eating, singing, and laughing. My father made
dozens of pralines every year, which he would sell to earn extra
Christmas money for our family. He also treated us to an a capella
version of White Christmas, while my sister and I led the family
in folk style guitar carols in harmony. My brother-in-law brought
in the tradition of reading “The Cajun Night before Christmas”
aloud in his beautiful bayou accent. I still can’t fathom how we
had room for all of those guests, but there was enough love in our
hearts to go around. And always enough food for all!
- Elizabeth Geisz
APRIL’S TRADITIONS:
Being from an interfaith family who are not yet parents, it is
sometimes hard for my husband and me to decide what traditions
to hold over the holidays. While we are still deciding how we will
celebrate both holidays once we have children someday, I will
share the traditions we hold now. I am Jewish and my husband
grew up celebrating Christmas. In the time we have been
together, we have always celebrated Hanukkah with my family
and Christmas with his. I decorate our house for both holidays
including our Chrismahanukkah tree, which has blue, white and
silver ornaments in keeping with Hanukkah colors.
As a child, I celebrated Hanukkah for all eight nights and got a few
small presents on each night. Now that we’re all grown up, we
have one big Hanukkah celebration on one night. We make latkes
and sing to the Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack. Our favorite song
is called “Matchmaker.” We sing and dance while we cook. We
exchange presents with my family and sometimes there are so
many, it takes over an hour to open them all. Although, it is one
night of celebration, my husband and I try to light the candles on
the menorah and say the Hanukkah blessings on all eight nights.
Every Christmas, my husband and I go over to my in-laws’ house
on Christmas Eve. We bring presents over and put them under
the tree. We spend the night, and in the morning open all of the
presents and our stockings. Then, we usually have a big Southern
breakfast. We spend the day together and have a big Christmas
dinner with ham and all the fixings. Sometimes we eat it for a
late lunch. My in-laws are not very religious, and they don’t go to
church. So, this is how they celebrate the holiday.

LIFE AT LIFE VOL 7. Issue 4

Before I met my husband, I did the normal Jewish tradition on
Christmas - go to the movies and eat Chinese food. Why, you
may ask is that the Jewish tradition? Because movie theaters and
Chinese restaurants are the only places open on Christmas!
Again, my husband and I are still trying to decide how to celebrate
both holidays once we have a family of our own. We plan to raise
our future children Jewish, but still want to incorporate some
of my husband’s family’s traditions as well. We’ll figure it out
someday!
To find out more about my holiday traditions, read my blog post
called “My Interfaith Holiday Celebration.”
- April Basler

SHELIA’S TRADITIONS AND A RECIPE:
When our first child was born, I began collecting Christmas
books. Little Golden books were some of our favorites. In a
few years we had enough to read a different story every night.
From Thanksgiving until New Year’s Eve, we read a different
Christmas story with our kids every night. I still have every one
of those books and have added to the collection since for my
grandchildren, when I get some. Other than attending Mass as
a family, this is one of my favorite traditions and one I hope my
kids will continue into the next generations. One of our favorite
things is a leisurely Christmas morning. Stay in PJ’s all day, curl
up after gift opening, and playing with all of the new toys. To
make Christmas morning brunch both yummy and easy for me,
I always serve what we call “The Recipe.” Combine with a hash
brown casserole and some cinnamon rolls and you’re in breakfast
heaven! It is a family recipe and most everyone has a different
take on it. Here’s mine:

Sheila’s Christmas Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Half stick of butter
2b
 ags seasoned croutons
(may not use the entire 2nd
bag, depending on your
baking dish)
8 eggs
1 cup half-and-half

2 pounds pork sausage, cooked
and crumbled
1p
 ound shredded sharp
cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
Salt, pepper, garlic and onion
power to taste

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