holiday Archives - Mothering in the Middle

Non-Traditional Holiday Traditions

by Jo-Ann Rogan

I was raised Catholic. My husband, some sort of Protestant. But, he refused to go to church after someone gave him a hard time about having nothing for the collection plate.

Together, our little family is very atheist. We celebrate the secular Santa and Rudolf Christmas. Presents, gatherings, and needed time together as a family. Celebrations with no religious overtones, but which include a ton of togetherness.

This has left us with some non-traditional traditions. “Hookey Day” is our favorite. We have been doing this since our sons were young. We pick a day in the middle of the week, right after Thanksgiving. We pick a weekday because my oldest son has sensory issues and navigating crowds is hard for him. I let the boys stay out of school. […]

Turn Down the Heat (A Holiday Primer)

by Valerie Gillies, LMFT

“Boiling point: The point at which anger or excitement breaks out into violent expression” – Wikipedia

Halloween in Connecticut came on the heels of a snowstorm of epic proportions. That is no exaggeration. Trick or treating was cancelled; power was out for over a week. Yes, people even lived (if you can call it that) without the Internet and cable, in unheated homes filled with ‘bored’ children. It was not a pretty sight. And that, my friend, was the start of the 2011 holiday season. “Uh oh” is right. In a flash we were through Thanksgiving, when the starting pistol was fired for the four-day marathon of Black Friday sales, followed by sensory overload, sleep deprivation and unlimited access to guilt. […]

Judeo-Christian Beliefs (A Holiday Lesson)

by Cyma Shapiro

During the past few weeks, I’ve read several interesting articles on the website http://www.Kveller.com: the inclusion of Santa Claus in the Macy’s Day Parade; the struggle that interfaith relationships (esp. with children) present relative to their respective families (esp. at this time of year); and how the sending of year-end holiday cards presents a predicament if I, as a Jew, choose to celebrate my holiday in the most traditional of manners. […]