My husband took my entire family out for dinner at a French restaurant when he was courting me, and we all sat down, looked at the china, knew it was Syracuse and every one of us picked up our plate to check the bottom. We were right. He sat there totally startled at the odd ritual.
Like its counterparts of the synagogue and the halakha, the Passover meal observed today may not be so traditional. It is now steeped in a different tradition -- doctrine is out, and family is in.
Wedding registries may be an efficient way for newlyweds to begin building their life together, but a recent study suggests that the ritual has had a ...
My dad was not a cook. He built skyscrapers in New York City, and his strong hands were more comfortable wielding the heavy steel of a hammer or a saw than the gentle curves of a metal whisk.
Exactly 20 years ago yesterday -- February 12, 1993 -- I opened the door for a blind date... and it turned out to be the door to the most beautiful future.
No matter how far away from him I was, the mere act of curling up in a comfy chair with the latest rendition of the Hallmark Hall of Fame gave me the same feeling of warmth and security that I'd felt sitting in the big chair with my Grampa when I was a little girl.
From my children's earliest years, on through my divorce and years as a single parent, we would gather together for a small party to decorate the tree. We'd join again to take it down on New Year's Day, sort of like bookends to the holiday season; a transition into the new calendar year.
I write about real-life because that is where I live with three active boys at home -- one curious 9-year-old Gus and 15-year-old twins, Wesley and Mickael Josef. And now my college-age son Ryan and his fiancée Larissa are home for Christmas as well with my daughter Rachel and her husband!
Wait till you see the 2012 picture.
Growing up, my family went all out at Christmastime. My father put up a grand nativity scene in front of our house, complete with large statues of bab...
I hope that when they are older and discuss among themselves how we went many places, and did many things, and that mom took a lot of photos of them, they will also remember how we say "I love you" so many times a day.
The courtship of Matthew Smith and Adele Guinee began in 1942. They'll be married 67 years Nov. 25 and have been blessed with a full and happy life. The Smiths know they're lucky.
The Kinsella family? Yeah, we totally want them at our next party. For the past 25 years or so, whenever the clan gets together, they engage in what i...
Traditions enable us to honor the past, celebrate the present and provide a legacy for the future. Not only a source of enjoyment, they serve as the glue that keeps families united.
With her husband overseas serving in the military, Gilbert endeavors to educate and instill an appreciation for fresh, locally produced food with her three young boys.
The holidays offer a special time to share the cherished traditions that our children will remember and pass on to the next generation. Gathering our families together for dinners and celebrations, it's easy to forget what a long road it's been for some of our ancestors and the lucky chain of circumstances that brought us all to our holiday feasts.
Exchanging Christmas cards each year with rarely seen friends and extended family always brings the annual revelations of photographs. Infants suddenl...
In the midst of all the holiday chaos, many Americans still set aside an evening to load the family into the car and drive around to see the neighborhood holiday decorations.
By Leigh Newman We tackle the stuff that makes us go ballistic (like, What the heck is wrong with a gift card?!) and offer expert ways to avoid all...
By Katie Arnold-Ratliff When the holiday started feeling more like a duty than a delight, Katie Arnold-Ratliff and her husband decided to celebrate...
No self-respecting Jew comes to the holiday table empty handed of family accomplishments, their very own ailments or a sense of humor. They are mandatory side dishes.
When you're sucking it up until it hurts, that's when you will know your sacrifice is making a difference for your kids.
Well my friends, last week I began what most likely will be the most rewarding chapter of my baby boomer years: I became a grandfather to a beautiful,...
Our aunts instilled in us the need to cherish the traditions of our family.
