Traditions Lost

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FarmerTim

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Hi,
I just heard about this website on 1620 AM in Sacramento.
My grandfather was Catholic in Scotland. He immigrated to the US as a young adult around 1900. When he came here, there wasn’t a Catholic church handy so he ended up going with Episcopal. My parents were Episcopalian and jokingly referred to it as “Catholic Lite”. After my parents left home, he decided to go home to the Catholic church. So growing up, I ended up getting confirmation in both the Episcopal and Catholic church. I had not been to church in over 20 years. I recently started going back to my local Catholic church. Sorry for the long introduction, I’m almost there.

My grandfather died a few years back and I didn’t get the chance to ask all the questions that I wish I could now if he was still around. With him I lost the chance at finding all of the traditions. I remember him making a lot of different things during the Christmas season. Some of it was food, some of it was eggnog. I remember the eggnog being a lot of work and asked why we didn’t just buy the stuff from the store. And he would say (in a strong Scottish accent), that they didn’t know what they were doing when it came to making that particular drink. I also vaguely remember making a wreath that sat on the table and lighting the candles.

There were lots of food, drink, decorations, and activities that I don’t have a way of finding any more. Now that I am married and have kids of my own, I’d like to bring some of them back. Where would be a good source of finding these? Mostly I’m interested in Christmas because of the time of year. But the other seasons too. I’m also interested in decorations in general as well. Are there any traditional household decorations that someone would have visible in their home if it was a Catholic home?
 
Welcome Farmer Tim.

I will do some thinking about Christmas traditions. I know at one time I read a book about Catholic traditions. There were so many. Many of them my family did not do. I cannot remember the title off hand.

Bicyclist Brennan
 
Apart from the Advent wreath, most Catholics always had a creche. They were of all sizes, some even large enough to be put out on the front lawns. Some people had lots of different figures in the creche or arranged around it. Apart from Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus, one would see angels, shepherds, the Magi, and assorted farm animals The Baby Jesus was not placed in the creche until after midnight on Christmas morning and the Magi not until the epiphany on January 6.
Of course, different ethnic groups had different traditions regarding decorations, food etc.
 
A great resource for finding out about Catholic traditions before Vatican II (the ones your grandfather would have known) is fisheaters.com/ It does talk a bit about what changes were made after Vatican II, but it focuses more on the timeless Catholic traditions associated with the Extraordinary Form, the Tridentine Mass.

This page (fisheaters.com/customs.html#advent) will help you find out a lot about Catholic traditions surrounding Advent (my favorite time of the year) and Christmas.

Happy hunting!
 
There were lots of food, drink, decorations, and activities that I don’t have a way of finding any more.
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Some, unfortunately, are lost. The Eggnog recipe, for example, is probably a family recipe, because I’ve never heard of a specific Catholic Eggnog.

Fortunately, many more are not. Fisheaters.com has already been recommended; the ‘being Catholic’ area has lots of info about traditional Catholic celebrations, and we here know (and celebrate) a lot of them as well.
Are there any traditional household decorations that someone would have visible in their home if it was a Catholic home?
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At all times? Or just Christmas?

Christmas: You’ll find the Christmas Tree, but also the Creche and (before Christmas starts) the Advent Wreath. The Christmas Tree I’m betting you’ll know already. The Creche, at least in my house, is set up with only the animals and an empty manger. St. Joseph and Mary are put at one end of the room and the three Magi at another. Each Sunday in Advent St. Joseph and Mary move a little closer to the stable, finally reaching it just before we go to Midnight Mass. After we get back from Midnight Mass, the Christ Child is put into the manger (sometimes we recite the Proclamation of Christ’s Birth as we do this justthinking.typepad.com/nordenson/2004/12/the_proclamatio.html ). The Magi reach the manger on January 6th, the Feast of Epiphany, and the end of the Christmas Season.

You can also make sure your Creche has a tabby cat and kittens, for the legend of the Christmas Cat: geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/christmas-tabbycatlegend.html

In general, Catholic Homes often have a crucifix in every bedroom, specifically over the bed. Mary Gardens and Home Shrines used to be seen more often, but it’s not unusual. Fisheaters has a great section on home shrines:
fisheaters.com/domesticchurch.html

Statues of the Saints and Mary, crucifixes, blessed palms from Palm Sunday, Holy Water, rosaries, all of these things should be found in Catholic homes.
 
I don’t know about Scottish Catholics but us Northern Italians would traditionally have a seafood dinner on Christmas Eve, Ravioli for Christmas dinner and make taffy on New Years. We had a Christmas Wreath for the front door, lights on the outside of the house, a Christmas tree that would go up on Christmas Eve with a big decoration party and a creche. The Baby Jesus did not go in th creche until after we got home from midnight Mass. We had the Advent Wreath and some of our older family members gave gifts on the Feast of the Magi rather than on Christmas day.
 
A lot of the traditions you speak of may actually be Scottish traditions. For example, did you celebrate Hogmanay on New Year’s Eve? I know this isn’t a Christmas tradition but it is related to this whole topic. All Scots refer to New Year’s Eve as Hogmanay. Do a search and you will find out what it’s all about. Also, did your grandfather practice the tradition of “the first foot?” This refers to the first person to enter your house in the New Year. The first foot is believed to bring good luck to the house and traditionally brings gifts of coal, salt, and whiskey; although the practice of bringing these gifts in now rare.

Also, the day after Christmas is referred to as “Boxing Day” in all of the United Kingdom. In the past, rich people would donate parcels, or boxes of goods to charity; hence the term “boxing” day.
 
What about the Advent calendars that we used to hang on the wall, that had little “doors” that you opened each day?
 
What about the Advent calendars that we used to hang on the wall, that had little “doors” that you opened each day?
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We have similar advent calendars in Britain but they are for children. They get them in December and they have 25 doors, and behind each door there is a little bit of chocolate. The children use them to count the days to Christmas. Do they have these in the USA?
 
Dempsey1919 said:
We have similar advent calendars in Britain but they are for children. They get them in December and they have 25 doors, and behind each door there is a little bit of chocolate. The children use them to count the days to Christmas. Do they have these in the USA?
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The ones we used to get didn’t have candy or anything like that. But in either case, I haven’t seen one in decades.
 
Dempsey1919 said:
We have similar advent calendars in Britain but they are for children. They get them in December and they have 25 doors, and behind each door there is a little bit of chocolate. The children use them to count the days to Christmas. Do they have these in the USA?
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I used to have one of those when I was a young child. I remember it quite well.
 
You can get the Advent Calendars still. I found several beautiful ones on ebay. We did have chocolate in ours when I was a girl. My father loves all things British, so perhaps it was just our family. I loved getting my Advent Calendar every year. Our family wasn’t Catholic (though Dad was Anglican) but we did have an Advent Wreath also.
 
LSK said:
I don’t know about Scottish Catholics but us Northern Italians would traditionally have a seafood dinner on Christmas Eve, Ravioli for Christmas dinner and make taffy on New Years. We had a Christmas Wreath for the front door, lights on the outside of the house, a Christmas tree that would go up on Christmas Eve with a big decoration party and a creche. The Baby Jesus did not go in th creche until after we got home from midnight Mass. We had the Advent Wreath and some of our older family members gave gifts on the Feast of the Magi rather than on Christmas day.
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Both sides of our Family are from Naples and Christmas Eve is always different kinds of fish, but always bacala’, calamari and scungili, shrimp and lots of eels. After dinner the ladies used to make zeppoli, which they also made on New Years Eve.

Christmas dinner (always served at 2) is either manicotti or ravioli or lazagna, with sausages, bracciolli and meatballs. My brotherinlaw’s mom also makes a Ham for later on that evening.

There are usually 30 to 40 people on Christmas Eve (both sides of the family–alternate years at my sister’s and my Godfather’s), and half that on Christmas Day (mom’s side of the family). The memories are fantastic.
 
In Britian, people usually have some kind of bird, usually Turkey or Goose. Although people have whatever they want, including Chicken, Beef, and Duck. Alongside the meat there is roast potatoes, roast parsnips and plenty of vegetables; Brussel Sprouts are a staple in all Christmas dinners, probably because they could be grown in the winter. I also have roasted stuffing balls and pigs and blanket (small roasted sausages wrapped in streaky bacon).

It is the custom in Britain to give Christmas Crackers to guests. These a form of entertainment where two people grab one end of the cracker and pull. The Cracker makes a “crack” sound as it is torn in half and the person with the larger half wins the gift which is inside.

Christmas pudding is traditionally served in the evening after dinner. Traditionally, coins were placed inside the pudding and the person who found them in his serving would keep them; finding a coin is said to be lucky. Before it is brought to the table, some people douse the pudding with brandy and set it on fire. They then bring the flaming pudding to the table. Christmas pudding is served with white brandy sauce instead of the usual custard. In Scotland, they have a similar dish known as “clooty” dumpling which is served throughout the year, especially at Christmas or on Hogmanay.
 
Thank you all for your generous time in replying. I am overwhelmed by all the responses. You are all fantastic and I am so glad I found this website.
 
We have similar advent calendars in Britain but they are for children. They get them in December and they have 25 doors, and behind each door there is a little bit of chocolate. The children use them to count the days to Christmas. Do they have these in the USA?
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I can find them easily around here during Advent. Sometimes they have BIble verses instead of or in addition to the Chocolate. The first door’s verse is always “The people have seen a great light…”.
 
And here in south Louisiana we have the Reveillon.

labellecuisine.com/Favorites/reveillon_.htm

We didn’t do the whole feast thing (that awaited going to my grandmother’s house on Christmas day where all sorts of delights were to be found). But my mother would always make fudge for after Midnight Mass and my Sicilian godfather/uncle would make fig cakes.

Down on the bayou incredibly elaborate bonfires would be lit before Midnight Mass to welcome Papa Noel.

stjamesparish.com/local/localinfo/BONFIRES/Bonfir1.htm

We have always come back home after Midnight Mass to sweets of some sort. I had to be at the cathedral for 10 pm and DW and sons would follow later. But I would come home to goodies! Yum!

That’s just Christmas…how about All Saints Day? Our dead are buried above ground because of the water table. The whole family would go to clean and whitewash the tomb.

tour-new-orleans.com/images/lafayette-cemetery-aisle-large.jpg

Picnic lunch. A day spent in honor of your ancestors. Novena at 2 in the chapel of the cemetary.
 
Our dead are buried above ground because of the water table. The whole family would go to clean and whitewash the tomb.
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I have seen graves like this in Spain. I have always liked them and I have always wished that I could be buried in this fashion; it seems nicer than being dumped in the cold ground. Unfortunately, I’ve never seen a grave like this in England. Also, I’d be afraid that thugs would vandalise graves like this.

Sorry to hijack the thread…
 
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