* Traditions & Memories

These Snowmen were made out of white pantyhose when my grandmother made them.

These are the last Stockings my granmother ever made. She placed a candy cane and money in these.

Traditions that I remember of my Grandmother: Thelma Laddie Reed South

Winfield, Al

Christmas:
Christmas would begin on Christmas Eve with Dinner. After Dinner we would exchange gifts and the kids would play with their new toys while the adults would play Rook. We kids were always put to bed and told " you have to get in bed early so Santa can come", that's when all the daddies got busy putting "Santa" together for Christmas morning. Then the adults would finish their Rook games way into the morning.
Christmas morning we would wake to find Santa had indeed come and then we enjoyed Christmas breakfast. Our Christmases were all about spending time with family. My Aunt Lynda and Uncle Don who lives in Dothan would always be home for Christmas and we got to spend time with Jeff & Rob who we didn't get to see much.These are times we will remember for a long time.

Christmas morning breakfast:
Eggs, Bacon, Ham, Sausage, Gravy, Grits, Oats, Biscuits & Chocolate
Christmas Dinner:
Cherry & Blueberry Cream Cheese pies
Sausage & Cheese Balls
Ham & Turkey
Chicken Dressing
Chicken & Dumplings
Turnip Greens
Corn
Beans
Peas

Bannana Pudding
Sweet Potato Pie
Pecan Pie
Chess Pie
Chocolate Pie
Fruit Salad
Plum Cake
Apple Dapple Cake
Butternut Cake
Lane Cake
German Chocolate Cake
Red Velvet Cake
Fruit Cake
Homemade Macaroni Cheese
Fudge, Peanut Butter Balls, Martha Washington Balls, Divinity
Haystacks, Tea Cakes, Peanut Butter Cookies

Stockings hung on the Mantle for all the children.
We always drew names to exchange gifts.
Our stockings always had Apples, Oranges, Nuts, Candy canes & money in them, these stockings were made by my Gran Mother each year.
We would always spend the night with Gran Mother.
One of my favorite memories is her Silver Tree with the light that changed the color of the tree. She also had a ceramic tree that had little colored lights on each branch she had made.
Her red Table cloth and Santa napkin holders she had made from felt.
Our stockings one year she made from felt that I still have.
She had a Santa that held a candle and he turned. She had Candles in all her windows.
She love birds with feathers on their tails on her trees.
Snowmen pins made with two white buttons.
Snowmen ornaments made out of white stockings.
Applesauce & Cinnamon Ornaments. Strung Popcorn, Gumdrop Trees
Salt Dough Ornaments. Paper Chains
She always had bowls full of Fruits and Nuts sitting around.

Thanksgiving:

Thanksgiving was spent around the table feasting on tons of food much like the Christmas meal.
After the meal we would begin decorating the house. Again after the evening meal the adults would begin their Rook playing and the kids were enjoying each other.
Thanksgiving Meal would be much the same as Christmas.

Easter:

Easter began with a Sunrise service at church (5:30 am) moving right into regular services. After Church we would eat lunch at Gran Mothers and then hide eggs. If I'm not wrong: I think until she became sick with Cancer she always made out Easter Dresses. On Easter we always got a new matching dresses, shoes, hat, gloves, purse, panties, socks and Easter basket. I remember we never worn white shoes until Easter Sunday.We always had big Egg Hunts at church and then at Grandmothers after Lunch.

Once again our holiday menus were much the same.

Traditions of my Mother: Leatrice Joy South Overton

Rt. 1 Brilliant, Al 35548

This is the address were I grew up. I don't know if it's because I was a child but I seem to remember a lot cooler weather and snow? Much of our holidays after my Gran Mother passed away were carried on just like she did it. They were just spent at our home. We still to this day have our Christmas on Christmas Eve.

Thanksgiving & Christmas:

Our meal would be almost the same as it was with my Grandmother's. Until my Grandmother died our holidays were spent at her house in Winfield, Al... After our meal we would help decorate my Grandmothers home and then go do our own home.

As a child my dad always took us into the woods Thanksgiving day to cut a tree, I can remember dragging those trees out of the woods like it was yesterday. I don't think we ever put up our tree until Thanksgiving. As a adult and living in Dothan that is the one thing I miss about my traditions, the cutting of our Christmas Trees. My Dad still will go cut his trees for Christmas.

After we would get home we would begin decorating the house and tree. Our love for decorations were much like my grandmothers, we loved glass birds, Strung Popcorn, Paper chains, Glass Balls, Stocking Snowmen, Santa, Deer & Soldiers made from the old timey clothespins, Pine cones, Our lights were the big bulbs and the bubbly candles, we also had candles in all the windows. My dad always put lights on our house. We always had stockings that were filled with fruit, nuts & candies. I will never forget the Christmas I got a talking Barbie and a Big as me doll that I still have, a easy Bake Oven. My Mother still uses a red table cloth on her table. My dad still decorates the outside with lights, a huge tree and a manger scene.

When I lived in Winfield Mother, me,Dad and my sister would work from January to November making crafts and on Thanksgiving weekend we would have open house and sell our crafts. We would have all our favorite desserts to taste. My mother would always have the Women of our church over for a Christmas party the week of December 9th, that is also her Birthday.

Our family has grown to be so big, but we still gather on Christmas Eve for our family Christmas.

Bill & Leatrice Overton 341 Meadowlark Rd Winfield, Al 35594

Mom & Dad

Eriksen's-4-Dothan

Smith's-3- Guin

Overton's- 3- Guin

Frank's-4- Ky

Strain's-4- IN

Lawler's-4- Winfield

Smith's-5- Sulligent

Webb's-3- Guin

Total to date: 30

We still have our meal (Dinner) with the same menu we have had since my Grandmother, after the Hunters are back from the woods, we then open presents and everyone, even the kids play bingo( lots of money and gifts are in the bingo) then we play Rook until early morning hours. Most of us still spend the night at Mothers.

I have said all of this only hoping that my children can take from us and make their on traditions.

I do try to do most of the menu's and decorating as close to my Grandmother and Mother. I do have a yearly tradition of making Gingerbread Houses. I love glass ornaments, The bird ornaments, Tinsel trees, anything my Grandmother had I try to keep as my traditions. I Love to Decorate and I own it all to these two Women. They have made me what am I. I only wish I could have learned more....... Love you Much!!!!!!