2010-12-08 - Childhood holiday traditions that you’re happy not to follow as an adult.Martyrdom. My grandmother insisted on hosting the family get together on Christmas Eve, and made sure we each realized how hard she worked, how tired she was, and how ungrateful we were. Whenever I suggested at least ordering an hors d'oeurvres tray, instead of making it herself, she looked at me as though I was a heathen. "Tradition" was very important to her, and a home-cooked meal was "tradition." So was her resentment of every forkful that came near our mouths.
Now that my mother is the matriarch, things are far more relaxed. A change for the better, I think.
