The stories of a Christmas past are so fun to hear; it is like stepping into someone else’s life when a friend shares a meaningful Christmas tradition or special memory from Christmas.
Traditions follow the pattern of life itself – some traditions are carried on from our parents. Some traditions are our own that we hold onto for a lifetime; some traditions don’t last long or fade in time as the children grow up or our circumstances change; some traditions are new and come with new beginnings. Life is always full of nostalgia for the past and hope of the future; so memory and life anew move us forward and come together in this common time we share called Christmas.
It is such a time cut out of time for this reason. I don’t know what I was doing each year on February 4th but I do remember moments from almost every December 25th. In this God steps in – He captures us in this day to remember the birth of His son. Although we have created a lot of hoopla around the day, He breaks through to tie our memory, our traditions, our celebrations, our sentiments to His Son . . . if we have hearts humble enough to listen and allow it.
We have several traditions in our family but this year I almost forgot one very important one. My daughter Maddie said to me the other day, “Mom, we have not read ‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ yet. It just won’t feel like Christmas if we don’t read that book.” This tradition spoke to Maddie (or should I say God did?) and He has connected her to His Son through this tradition. Maddie will move through her life and she will make her own Christmases one day but she will remember this tradition and then she will remember Him. Christmas – it truly is such a time set apart – a magical time.
Last year I shared with you my recipe of our Christmas dinner tradition, beef fondue, but below is the recipe for the traditional Christmas dinner we had each year in WV when I was a child. Enjoy!
4 beef top loin steaks, cut 1 inch thick
Salt
Pepper
4 4-ounce frozen lobster tails
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash paprika
-Slash fat edge of steaks at 1-inch intervals.
-In skillet cook steaks over medium-high heat to desired doneness; turn occasionally.
-Allow 9 to 10 minutes total time for rare or 11 to 12 minutes for medium.
-Season with salt and pepper.
-Meanwhile, drop frozen lobster tails in boiling salted water to cover.
-Return to boiling; reduce heat.
-Simmer 8 minutes; drain.
-Snip along each side of thin undershell; remove undershell.
-Remove meat from shells; cut in chunks.
-Return to shells; place one atop each steak.
-In saucepan melt butter; stir in lemon juice, salt, and paprika.
-Spoon over lobster.