Tradition

 Tradition. What a hard sounding word! They sang about it in “Fiddler On The Roof” as if it was something sacred.” Many religious beliefs are based on tradition, but I don’t think I understand tradition. Is tradition something good? Unchangeable? To be desired? Is, “we have always done it that way,” a good reason for always doing it that way?

            Once my sister-in-law was making the turkey stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner. I suggested not putting in the giblets because our family didn’t care for them. She replied that she would put them in because that’s the way her mother made dressing. End of discussion. Tradition means giblets. Bleah.

How many times do you have to do something before it becomes a tradition?  Who starts traditions, can anybody do it? Maybe traditions start quite easily but are hard to get rid of.  Some families can’t have the clan dinner without a certain salad that was Grandpa’s favorite even though Grandpa is long gone. Sometimes the name of the food  is traditional, like at our house, angel food cake is called “soap cake.” We don’t remember why.

            Traditions probably hold families together, but maybe they also cause loneliness and sadness when enforced separation, divorce, illness or death, interfere with typical family holiday celebrations. Maybe it’s better to do things differently occasionally, if only to demonstrate that if the family changes in some respect, the celebration can be changed to accommodate the new situation.

             Some people just fly in the face of tradition and have fun doing it.  Last year, one family that I know had a potluck Thanksgiving dinner on the beach and they are doing it on a boat this year. (This was in California, and probably shouldn’t be tried at Lake Superior.) One warm Michigan Christmas day, we did grill steaks on the patio, and took pictures of the thermometer and of grandma grilling.

            One summer I attended a wedding in the public library, and another in the groom’s parent’s front yard, with reception in a tent. Ta, Ta, tradition. I’ll bet that most traditions start by pure accident. The Indians and the pilgrims probably fixed whatever they could find, probably didn’t even eat it together, and we’ve been stuck with their menu ever since. Maybe you could be just as thankful with pork loin or meatloaf this year. If someone in the family insists on turkey and trimmings, make them vow to be a kitchen slave from start to finish AND stick around afterwards to clean off the carcass. Get it in writing! If you must cook turkey, you should stuff it with my Aunt Irene’s wonderful stuffing! It’s a (ahem) tradition.

Aunt Irene’s Easy & Wonderful and & Perfect Stuffing

 1 loaf bread of choice

1 t. sage (or to taste)

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

2-1/2 cups broth or water

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

1 medium potato, cooked, mashed, including cooking liquid

1 C. sliced celery, cooked, with cooking liquid

 Break bread into small pieces. It is fine to use stale bread or buns. Sprinkle bread with sage. Melt butter in water or broth and stir in soup mix; pour over bread.  Add potato with cooking liquid, and celery with cooking liquid.  Mixture should be very moist. *Stuff bird, or remove bird from oven about 1 hour before it is done and spoon dressing into pan juices. Cover dressing with foil for part of baking time. Continue baking until turkey is done.  To Bake separately, pour into buttered pan and bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more.    

*(I prefer not to stuff turkey. It is easier, safer and just as good, I think.)