What is it about Christmas that brings out the childlike wonder in all of us? Maybe it’s the wonderful memories that surround us during this special season.
I remember the joy of Christmas as a child. My brothers and sisters and I could open one present on Christmas Eve before we went to midnight mass. After we got home, we’d try to fall asleep fast. Then, early on Christmas morning, the six of us would wait patiently at the top of the stairs for our parents to wake up so we could find out what Santa left us under the Christmas tree.
Do you remember that feeling, too?
One of our favorite traditions was my Mom buying us special ornaments each Christmas. She’d write our name and the year on the bottom. When we got married or left home, she presented us with our box of ornaments to decorate our own Christmas tree. I’ve continued that tradition with my children and grandchildren, choosing ornaments that represented their hobbies, sports or favorite events for each year.
Some of these wonderful traditions fall away over the generations. With determined grandmothers like longtime Troy residents Norma Austin and Sue Allison, however, some stay just as they are.
Norma and her family always shared the traditional Christmas celebrations – a big holiday dinner, decorating the house and putting up the tree with daughters Sandy and Sherry. One of her favorites was singing carols while Sherry played the piano.
Today, after nearly four decades in Troy, she holds on to her traditions.
“I still put up my Christmas Village,” says Norma, “and my tree topper is an angel I bought for my Mom in 1981. When she passed away in 1996, I brought it home with me from Tennessee. Now, I use it on my own Christmas tree every year. I’ll be sure to pass it down to one of my girls. It means so much to me, bringing back memories of my Mom and our Christmas holidays when I was a child.”
Sue Allison, a 43-year Troy resident, family and friend of Norma, remembers the wonderful Christmas holidays in Troy with family and friends.
“We always celebrated on Christmas Eve with the entire family. I love Christmas! We would decorate our house in Troy, inside and out, and turn on the lights the day after Thanksgiving.”
Sue remembers the holidays as a special time to gather with family and have a delicious meal. And she still does. Every Christmas Eve, she lays out one of her famous all-out feasts – turkey, ham and kielbasa plus all the trimmings like stuffing, mashed and sweet potatoes, green beans and a cranberry salad. While her kids always bring dessert, Sue still makes a pumpkin pie and strawberry cake.
Then there’s the Christmas tree – or, as Sue calls it, the memory tree.
“Our memory tree has ornaments we’ve collected over the years, and I love putting it up. I really treasure the ones my kids and grandkids made for me when they were young. We also took videos every Christmas since my son and daughter, Duane and Lorrie, were little. They complained about it every year, but now, as everyone has gotten older, it’s so nice to watch the videos and remember holidays past. It’s a wonderful way to keep our memories alive and for the grandchildren to see their parents celebrating Christmas as children.”
Sue also still makes fudge to give as gifts. It’s a special tradition, using her Mom’s recipe that’s over 100 years old, and now she enjoys making the fudge with her granddaughter Emma, who plans to continue that tradition.
As for Norma, her daughter, Sandy, is the one making the holiday meal and having the family gather at her home in Clarkston. While the years have flown by and many things have changed, both Sue and Norma hold tight to their happy memories of Christmas, past and present.
What are your favorite memories of the holidays in Troy? Let us know on Facebook (troycitylifestyle) and Instagram (troycitylifestyle).
"It means so much to me, bringing back memories of my Mom and our Christmas holidays when I was a child."
"Our memory tree has ornaments we’ve collected over the years, and I love putting it up. I really treasure the ones my kids and grandkids made for me when they were young."