It's a Southern Thing---Christmas Traditions Of the American South By Connie Vines

 My blog topic may be premature...But I love Christmas and don't want to miss out on the festivities!

I've touched on my nomadic childhood before. While many people have family gatherings, shared traditions, and family stories to tell, my holidays were unstructured and included only immediate family members (minus one if my father was deployed).

While my father was a 5th-generation Texan, my mother's lineage was Czech, and my formative years were spent in the deep south.

🎄Fencing with wrapping tubes. After the gifts were wrapped and safely under the tree, we (the children) tried out our fencing moves (no smack downs allowed).

Neighbors sharing sweet tea or eggnog while swaying on a porch swing.

Charleston, South Carolina, is magical during the holiday season. The streets are lit up, shop windows are decorated, and there's a buzz of holiday cheer that blends into the historical past. A past filled with pirates, colonial history, the Civil War, delicious food...and hurricanes.  

My most vivid memory: the hurricane. Charleston, like many coastal cities, is below sea level. Winds were 150 mph, and we were required to evacuate. My parakeet died (due to a change in air pressure). Later, someone fed me a slice of pecan pie. 

Skiff's Creek, Virginia. I recall snow. Lots of snow. No natural disasters, just new additions to the household (younger brother and a cat). I was allergic to the cat (he was given a new home).

I was pleased that my brother was allowed to stay. 

I recall consuming too many peanuts (Boiled), vendors pushed a cart along the sidewalk like ice cream vendors do today. I consumed too many and was taken to the doctor.

Recipe: 

1.5 cups kosher salt divided, plus more to taste

 2 lbs. raw peanuts in the shell 

Place 2 gallons of water in a 10 - 12-quart stockpot. Add 1/2 cup of salt to the water and stir until dissolved. Add raw peanuts.

Use a large dinner plate to help submerge the floating peanuts. Soak peanuts 8 hours or overnight. (This step saves a little time boiling, but if you don't have the luxury of soaking time, you can skip it.)

Step 2

Drain peanuts, then add water and salt and bring to a boil. Then reduce to low. Simmer, covered, until the peanuts are soft (5 - 8 hours). Add additional water if needed. 

Test: Peanuts should NOT be crunchy. 

Allow to set in water for 1 hour.

Drain and allow to cool before eating. 

Store in the shell, in a sealed container. Refrigerate for 7 to 10 days, or freeze for several months. 

Orlando, Florida,  (not my favorite place). 

Alligators, bugs, humid, and swampy (there are 100 lakes). I've discovered pythons are now residing, too. I found it much more humid than Charleston.  

Foods? Key Lime Pie, Classic Cuban Sandwich, and fried alligator. While not a holiday standard, they are all delicious.

Let's zip forward to 2025.

My "gingerbread" kitchen table

The table is set, and tomorrow the decorations will be scattered about the living room. My little Christmas tree will be displayed on December 1st. And, yes, I'm baking and freezing holiday treats.

Pecan pie will be my Christmas dessert; the rest will be standard holiday fare.  Collard greens and black-eyed peas will be served for good luck on New Year's Eve.

Yes, Connie has several projects in the works...

And I'm working out the kinks and mishaps of my upgraded computer and the operating system.  (me relying on my back-up system).

Happy Reading,

Connie

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