Traditions

[onela]

I'm at work late tonight, keeping the doors open for a squadron here at the base's Mess dinner (in case you don't know- I work in a military aviation museum on a base). The barkeep asked me to help out when it's time to "Pass the Port". I played it cool and agreed, but of course, then I immediately started tweeting and calling around to make sure it's a real thing (you'll never know when the tradition is to mess with a civilian, after all!). Turns out that Passing the Port is indeed a real thing, and thanks to the great oracle that is the internets, I now know what to do if somebody forgets to pass the port!

So, what are your favourite traditions? Or, have you learned a tradition the hard way?

 

[Shanazel]

We always go outside and face east to watch the new year come in. I can probably count the number of times I've stayed inside on the fingers of one hand- and maybe have fingers left over. My dad is the one who brought the tradition to me.

 

[LilithNoor]

In the Regency period, someone who had let the port sit by him would be told that he was 'chased'.

My family have a very old and silly tradition involving a series of family catchphrases that must be called out on first seeing the sea during a road trip somewhere.

That's now carried on into my home, and my husband and I glean silly catchphrases (Wallace & Gromit and Top Gear provide most of them) and quote them at each other at every opportunity.

 

[onela]

That's now carried on into my home, and my husband and I glean silly catchphrases (Wallace & Gromit and Top Gear provide most of them) and quote them at each other at every opportunity.

*slow clap* :clap: I love Wallace and Gromit!

 

[Imeera]

In the UK on New Year for my family. My Dad, as it has to be a dark haired family member and he is the only one, has to walk into the house with coal and bread for good luck in the next year. No idea why! Just always done it. Another one at Easter, we get our eggs on Easter Sunday. Roll them so they crack, then eat them on Easter Monday.

In my other home, the UAE, I extreamly enjoyed Ramadan and Eid. So much yummy food at night! Other cultural traditonas I love that I picked up there too. Also my family, at Christmas time, drove to Dubai to do a Christmas shop every year. It was so amazing doing that!

 

[Shanazel]

Lucky you with the built in dark haired person for Hogmanay! We're all blonds of varying shades in my family, except for my gray husband.

Was reminded of another silly but cherished custom: upon arriving home from a long trip, the driver of the car says, "Home again, home again." The passenger(s) must respond "Jiggity Jig." This is done faithfully whether we've been to market to buy a fat pig or not.

 

[onela]

Was reminded of another silly but cherished custom: upon arriving home from a long trip, the driver of the car says, "Home again, home again." The passenger(s) must respond "Jiggity Jig." This is done faithfully whether we've been to market to buy a fat pig or not.

That's an unofficial tradition in our family, too- I can't think of many car rides home with my parents that didn't end with Papa saying "Home again, home again"

 

[seona]

In the UK on New Year for my family. My Dad, as it has to be a dark haired family member and he is the only one, has to walk into the house with coal and bread for good luck in the next year. No idea why! Just always done it.


My grandfather used to do that on new year. I'm positive it's a Scottish tradition originally .... I'm curious now, may have to google!

 

[Shanazel]

That's an unofficial tradition in our family, too- I can't think of many car rides home with my parents that didn't end with Papa saying "Home again, home again"

Ha! Too cool.

 

[Starmouth]

When I was little, if we had been for a family day out in the summer and saw a hot air balloon in the sky on the way home we would always go 'hot air balloon hunting'. We would follow it around, getting as close as we could until it landed. Then me and my sister would get really excited and cheer and my dad would sing us nonsense songs to calm us back down again.

Oh and also, in my family owls were referred to as padlocks until I was about 12, all because my mum once excitedly called us all over to look at the owl sitting on the fence, which turned out to be a padlock. Similarly swans = plastic carrier bags. :lol:

 

[Shanazel]

When I was a kid, we were out on my dad's boat when he saw some black animals in the distance. Given the remote location, he declared them to be bears. Upon closer examination they proved to be black angus cattle. Poor Daddy- every time we saw black cows, someone was sure to say, "Look, Daddy! Bears!"

How fun this is to share memories with each other. Great topic, Onela.