red christmas candles
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: Elemental Holiday #Traditions

In December, many families celebrate the holidays with Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, or other traditional events that may not be related to spiritual expression.

In modern times, many cultures use various elements from ancient traditions surrounding the winter solstice. Yuletide, a familiar ancient Anglo-Saxon/Celtic midwinter tradition, incorporated rituals of burning a yule log (fire) and hanging a sprig of mistletoe (earth).

This is the time of year when we may experience a broad range of traditions. Some are long-standing, while others may be brand-new. Far too frequently, many inevitably change.

“The modernity of yesterday is the tradition of today, and the modernity of today will be tradition tomorrow.” – Jose Andres

Since 2009, one of our traditions has been to travel elsewhere for Christmas. For 11 years, we drove to San Diego from our former home in Sacramento to be with family members over the winter holidays.

Rudolph Visits San Diego's Balboa Park
Rudolph Visits San Diego’s Balboa Park

As many of you know, most of my family and I, too, relocated from California during the 2020 pandemic, but we still have family who live in San Diego, and we try to visit at least once a year.

When we relocated to Eastern Washington, we stayed home for Christmas since 2020. I NEEDED to have a few white Christmases! Like this:

Snowy white Christmas
Too much snow for a White Christmas
snow scene Tanka Tuesday
Homestead in the snow

Snowy Traditions

Since December 2020, we have enjoyed several snow-related holiday traditions, including the annual Christmas Tree Lighting in our town square.

Christmas Tree Lighting

The Stevens County Fire District No. 1 traditionally escorts Santa and his sleigh through the neighborhood streets during the first two weeks of December, a much-anticipated and enduring tradition!

fire engine pulling Santa's sleigh

“There are three stages of man: he believes in Santa Claus; he does not believe in Santa Claus; he is Santa Claus.” – Bob Phillips

Then there is the snow, how to enjoy it, what to do with it … and warming by the fire.

walking in snowshoes
She’s up!
Backyard Firelight
Backyard Firelight
Man blowing snow
Hans moving FEET of snow

Oddly, Christmas 2023 wasn’t very snowy. This was taken on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve Landscape

I love to decorate, and it’s my tradition to place lights in the front yard. My deer seemed to enjoy it.

Lighted yard decor deer

I chose not to decorate much for Christmas in the house this year, a tradition I genuinely enjoy doing.

decor nativity

No doubt the homes we’ll stay in will be festive and warm!

A non-snowy tradition I enjoy happens from November through January. At Lake Couer d’Alene, Idaho, the bald eagles gather for their annual hunting/fishing feast when the Kokanee salmon begin their spawning cycle. Catching them on a good day is tricky, but catching them in large flocks or aeries has eluded me.

Eagle-peeping takes the place of leaf-peeping now.

Perched Bald Eagle
He has his eagle eye on something…

“Tradition gives us a sense of solidarity and roots, a knowing there are some things one can count on.” – Gloria Gaither

Traditional Road Travel

“Wherever I roam, nature is the only stranger that feels like home.” ~ Angie Weiland-Crosby

We’ll begin our three-day road trip south from Eastern Washington to Scottsdale, Arizona, on December 20th. My father is 88 years old, and …well, what if this is my last Christmas to spend time with him?

Man wearing blue clothes
Dad 2008
Two men by the lake
Dad, Hans and Brodie in January 2024

In 2023, we moved Dad and my step-mom to Payson, Arizona, to be near my brother, who lives in Scottsdale. We decided to extend our new snowbird tradition another few weeks to include Christmas this year. As part of the three days of road travel, we enjoy staying overnight in Beaver, Utah. Last year, this small town decorated its festive main street.

Christmas Lights Beaver, Utah
Christmas Lights Beaver, Utah

Two years ago, my stepdaughter and her husband traveled from the Phoenix area to spend Thanksgiving with us and see our homestead for the first time. One of our traditions when picking up folks from the airport is to stop by the local brewhouse for a meal. Just in time, the snow started!

291 Brewhouse

Another tradition we all enjoy is celebrating our birthdays! This week is the big Six-Five for me. Can you guess what day my birthday is? My sis-in-law decorated her dinner table with plates from the “Twelve Days of Christmas” last year and insisted I sit at this place setting:

On the 4th Day of Christmas plate

“Sometimes the little things in life mean the most.” ― Ellen Hopkins

Sharing for Johnbo’s CellPic Sunday and Lens-Artists: 5 Elements.

rust brushstroke

Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders

The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post. Please use your own original images, whether new or from your archives.

  • Please create a new post for the theme or link a recent one.
  • Remember to title your blog post a little differently than mine.
  • Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
  • Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
  • Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
  • I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.

Tell us more about your favorite holiday traditions! I would love to hear about the traditions of those who spend the holidays in the southern hemisphere. Once again, this Sunday Stills challenge will last two weeks.

Creativity is encouraged, so if you participate in the photo challenges, please share your own photographs (old or new), poems, original short stories, and music inspired by the theme. Join me again on December 15th as we explore metallic colors for the December color challenge.

Dec 1-8 TRADITIONS (Two-week challenge)
Dec 15-22 Monthly Color Two-Week Challenge: METALLIC
Dec 29 & Jan 5: Your 2024 Year-in-Review! (in photos)
Please visit my Sunday Stills page for the schedule

Enjoy the Earth’s elemental wonders and feel the spirit of tradition this holiday season. ❄️ 🎄

“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” – Hamilton Wright Mabie

Winter bitmoji

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110 comments

  2. So good Terri. I loved this post. I decided I’m going to jump back in come January. I’ve been wanting to post but just having a hard time doing it. 😦 I love your nativity. My daughter has that one, but not the whole set.

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    • Thank you, Kirstin! You are so busy, I get it. I always appreciate your comments. With us leaving before Christmas and not returning for a few weeks, I didn’t put out the nativity set. And I have the whole set. Stay tuned for the moose nativity I’m expecting today 😆🫎

      The 2024 year in review runs 12/29 – 1/5, you can post during that two week period. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

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  14. Happy birthday. I loved all your photos but the one with the truck and the pumpkins and the fog/snow was so cool. It’s long past that season here. Hope you have a good trip and enjoy your family Christmas.

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  15. Hi Terry
    Although we have lived in England for years we celebrate our Scandinavian solstice traditions. That means lots of real candles, open fires, Aquavit and lots of meat.
    We had to get used to warm weather during the holiday season here on the coast of Norfolk.
    Wishing you a merry holiday season and birthday
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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  16. I remember the Christmas traditions we used to have when I was growing up, Terri. One tradition was having an advent calendar, but the one I enjoyed most was always finding coins, nuts, and tangerines at the bottom of my Christmas stocking on Christmas morning. My mother would also put coins in the homemade Christmas pudding. Putting coins in the Christmas pudding is now considered too dangerous.

    Another tradition we had was to always put up the Christmas tree on the Sunday before the 12th of December. Now, we put the tree up earlier and earlier, but that’s because I’m in charge of when the tree(s) go up. It’s taken three days this year!

    I love your town lights. The fact that they are coloured lights takes me back to Christmases of the 1970s and 80s. In the UK, warm white or ice-white lights seem more popular. However, I did hear that the coloured lights were making a comeback. Keep your fingers crossed for next Christmas.

    Have a wonderful time at Christmas with your family, especially with your dad.

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    • Thank you, Hugh! After hearing my daughter’s report about her grandpa over Thanksgiving, I’m doing the right thing to visit early to Arizona this year.

      You shared some wonderful Christmas traditions! As a kid, I became the one in charge of the tree. As my mom aged, she would leave her tree up a little too long. Our family didn’t do much with stockings. No fireplace mantels in San Diego I suppose. Do you have stockings for Austin and Toby? We do for our dog, and a couple of tree ornaments with their names. I’ll never part with little Aero’s ornaments.

      This year’s tree lighting was short but nice to see. The business owner put up a small tree. There are literally 29 good sized pine trees in the parking lot they could have used. Oh well. We’re looking forward to seeing lots of festive holiday lights while at my brother’s town. I also like the colored lights!

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      • I’m glad you are visiting to see your dad over Christmas, Terri. Just wait until he sees you walking into the house. I expect a lot of smiles and maybe a few tears to share.

        We don’t do stockings for Toby and Austin, but they do get wrapped gifts because Toby loves unwrapping presents. Austin is not so keen on unwrapping, but while Toby plays with the paper, Austin plays with what is inside. We do have a Corgi tree, which has…you guessed it, corgi decorations. We buy a new one yearly, and the tree already looks full. I’ll take a picture of it and send it to you.

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    • Thank you, Ingrid! I’m glad one of our traditions includes driving south after the holidays to include visiting family and friends in AZ! You know who you are, lol! Traditions do evolve over time and whatever motivates new ones or changed long standing ones, should be welcomed. Thanks for the b-day wishes!

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  24. Your month of December is going to be amazing! I hope it snows on your birthday tomorrow. Happy early birthday to you! I like Christmas decorations, in moderation. I think it can be very beautiful.

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  25. Great photos, Terri. I don’t do a lot of decorating at Christmas time, but since we moved to our current home 18 months ago, we did startestringing outdoor Christmas lights. For me, it’s a tradition to get the tree up and decorated by Dec. 6th, as that’s my son’s birthday. We’re celebrating his 30th this year, so I’m about to get into Christmas prep time. Safe travels and happy holidays!

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  26. Happy almost birthday!

    I have several black and white photos of me and my brothers posing on those Balboa Park reindeer… the ones standing on the ground, back when they allowed that sort of thing. Our holiday traditions have morphed throughout the years as family structures have changed. I didn’t feel much like decorating for fall or Halloween, but I may get my act together for Christmas.

    I’m looking forward to seeing you in January! Maybe we can plan a photo walk.

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    • Thank you, Janis! We took photos there too when we were kids. I have one of me somewhere sitting in the sleigh. Boy how things have changed. We also loved to walk through the nativity scenes too. Fond memories of San Diego Christmases.

      We spend more time indoors here, so seasonal decor for me is satisfying. Yes, let’s plan a good walk. 👍

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  28. Happy Birthday, a couple of days early,Terri! I love your festive post and beautiful photos. I love to decorate and our apartment is beginning to look festive. I doubt we will have snow this year but one never knows. 💖✨

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  30. I’m with John. It is beautiful to look at – the snow that is. Your festivities are lovely to see no matter what the weather. This is a great post – as always – informative and full of beauty! I love that the fourth is with you always! LOL Happy birthday, bestie.
    We are going tree shopping today. You’ve rubbed off on us!

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    • Thank you, dear bestie! 65 is such a big milestone for me at least. My mom was only 4 years older than me when she entered long term care. Of course she had many health issues. Her mother, my grandma, died at age 64 from uterine cancer. I hope I am the new benchmark for healthy aging for my brothers and our next generations.

      Enjoy your tree shopping. That is a holiday tradition I miss… putting up a Christmas tree. But we went to the community tree lighting last night. Not quite the Hallmark experience but still charming. Talk soon, I have an idea to visit you! ❤️👏

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  31. Terri,

    My granddaughter and daughter-in-law both have birthdays on Dec 4. I love them both dearly and you would fit in well with either of them. Enjoy your special day. Our tradition began when my sister-in-law lived in Louisiana and would come home and prepare a delicious seafood gumbo for the family gathering. Many years later, we continue the tradition with family members each taking their turn at gumbo. My recipe is darn good, even if I say so. Hard to believe that it’s been four years since you moved. Wow!

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    • Thank you, Joe! ❤️ I’m always happy to share the birthdate with others! As a kid I had the lone December birthday. I later found out a boy I liked in 5th grade had the same birthdate, and then a neighbor. That seafood gumbo sounds amazing! We’re meeting my in-laws for lunch at our favorite German restaurant on Wednesday. I trust you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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  33. Such a beautiful festive post! I love all the photos of your home, snow and not! I especially love the pickup truck at the ale stop! So inviting. Happy birthday to you! And may all your days be merry and bright! Thankfully I have two weeks to come up with a post on traditions and will be back sometime to share. 🙂

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  34. You’ve got me missing the snow and a white Christmas, Terri. It still seems odd not to have snow. I’m going to try to remember to join your two-week challenge, as I love Christmas and decorating. Happy birthday early. Be sure to get in touch when you’re here and let’s try to get together if you have time.

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  35. Terri, I do like your snowy scenes, even though I don’t care for snow. It is pretty though. We have been having fits and spurts of snow, but will be getting three inches of the white stuff on Wednesday. Just two weeks ago, flowers were still blooming and you only needed a light sweater – it was in the 20s when I got up this morning. Your fire pit looks very cozy. Our City Santa Claus arrived yesterday, also in a fire truck, to preside at the Fantasyland Christmas display. He used to arrive by helicopter at Memorial Park, but now it is by fire truck and the high school marching band escorts him into Fantasyland. The visit to Beaver, Utah looks special with the main street all aglow like that. I’m guessing December 4th is your big 65th birthday. You are just a kid – I am 68. I am always envious of people who have lots of family at the holidays. It is just me now, no other relatives, although our family was always small, just my parents and me and maternal grandparents and one aunt, all gone now.

    Here is my post for the Traditions challenge – I will have another one next week – more about Christmas traditions, but I usually do a status post on my walking goal and today is about that tradition.

    Fall frolicking.

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    • Thank you, Linda. Having a 65th birthday will be a piece of cake literally, compared to the piles of paperwork we both had to do for social security and Medicare. So many decisions, plus dealing with other pensions and stuff, we used a free Medicare agent to help us navigate. This will be a one-off tradition we won’t have endure again 🤣 Enjoy your snow. Everything is so brown here. The snow brightens things up. At least we had a sunny day…no fog! A weather tradition i can do without.

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      • Yes, I remember that paperwork well Terri and for me, since I was turning 65 in April 2021, all the paperwork was done when the Medicare offices were closed due to the pandemic. One person staffed each office with the sole purpose of scanning in documents to government workers who worked from home and to receive/send out mail. They vetted me since I am Canadian, so I had to provide extra verification, like my original green card and original birth certificate which had to be mailed to them. I also used a free Medicare navigator and he was super and helped me pick the best plan for me and I’ve gone with that plan ever since. I have to renew my green card in 2025 so I am hoping that it will be an easier process than in 2015 since I was now vetted for Medicare. I had to return for ink fingerprints and go to the police station to verify I had never been in trouble with the law. I can do without fog too. I am hoping the snow does not impede my walking regimen as I near year-end (the squirrels at the Park have an interest as well). 🙂

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      • OMG, I have nothing to complain about, Linda! Hans had some other pension paperwork in October which was a doozy. And like you, he also had to take his naturalization papers to the soc sec office downtown. He was born in South America. I can’t even imagine you going through this during covid. 😳

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      • It was an experience for sure Terri! They said “don’t worry, we won’t lose your paperwork” but I am sure Hans would agree that the government has all of our information and/or paperwork since we were not born in the U.S. So at one point I said to a Medicare worker in our telephone call “well I have had to get my green card renewed several times already and that information, plus my signature and photos by electronic captures are in a government office; can you not cross-check?” I was incredulous about it and its kind of an insult as you file income taxes so they know how many years you were employed. P.S. – I assumed Hans was born in Germany.

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      • Right … I find it hard to believe, but I would have thought due to the pandemic it would have been easier to cross-reference. That is amazing – three languages. My mom wanted my father to teach me German but he never did and she didn’t speak German at all.

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  37. Happy birthday on the 4th (I’m guessing) Terri. I’m a year and a week behind you so I understand the December birthday feelings!

    I’m joining in this week, sorry for my absence over the past month or so, but life you know, it sometimes gets in the way! I’m sharing some old traditions from a previous Sunday Stills post in 2018 and added some new ones plus photos.

    I love your snowy shots, mine are mainly all beaches and sunshine 🙂 All the best for your road trip and holiday time with your family.

    Take care x

    https://debs-world.com/2024/12/01/celebrating-family-traditions-together/

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  41. I love your traditions, Terri. I ‘d love to be somewhere where they do things like tree lighting in the snow. I think we’ve had our snow for the year, back to dismal rain. I’ll have to make do with Christmas movies 😉

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    • Thank you, Cathy! Christmas movies are the best! We already started watching some. No more snow? Yikes! we’re still patiently waiting. The tree lighting is tonight, I think our first time seeing it without snow. It will still be special and frankly, easier to drive in!

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  42. Terri, may the 4th be with you. Happy Birthday! I love traditions, but have learned to evolve according to circumstances. The kids will visit for a few days; we will set a beautiful table, cook a nice meal together, enjoy the lights on the Christmas tree, and watch cheezy Christmas movies. We ditched the gift exchange part years ago. My only request is the annual family photo by the tree. Happy travels. Enjoy your Dad while you can. We will be missing Nana this year.

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    • Thank you, Suzanne! How can I be 65 when my brain thinks I’m 35? There must be a good saying for Dec 4th (but I secretly like May the 4th). I agree that traditions must and should evolve. Covid taught us that. We don’t do gift exchanges anymore– we joke that if we want something, we just buy it. I like the idea of your annual Christmas photo–something we never got around to engineering! May we remember all of our loved ones who have gone before us this year.

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  43. A fun peek into your holiday life Terri, and good on you for not resenting the 1/4 birthday! I have 4 brothers – one has a birthday on Christmas Eve and another has his on January 2. We always laugh at the latter as he says everyone is completely DONE with parties and celebration by then. And we always feel bad for my Xmas Eve brother because his gifts are always Xmas-wrapped. I always make a point of wrapping something in birthday paper for him. Your post made me quite nostalgic for those family holidays up north. Enjoy the family AND the holiday. Loved your post.

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    • Thank you, Tina! Eek, I’m late to read comments and other posts today! My birthday comes early enough in December to not be a big problem. I can imagine how your brothers feel about their holiday birthdays. My daughters and other brother made their way to Scottsdale for Thanksgiving, so they had a fun, big blow-out! Tis the season for holiday celebrations. Still no snow today, but the sun has been out under blue skies, but cold–which is OK! I may be a bit envious of your warm Christmas!

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  44. Perfect photos to get me ready for the holidays, Terri. Super festive. I love that photo of the golden Christmas eve with the blue hills in the background. At this time of year, it’s the cozy warm light in contrast to the cold that is so beautiful to me. Happy December!

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  46. Happy birthday for Wednesday, Terri. Another Christmas with Dad sounds good to me. You never know… do you? I hope he’s still in good health.

    Traditionally we are with my son. My daughter likes a quiet Christmas with her husband, but she sends me an online Advent calendar (Jacquie Lawson) every year. I opened it for the first time this afternoon and played at decorating the tree and finding Santa. I know that she would be doing the same.

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  51. Happy Birthday in advance, Terri! 🥳🎉 It’s Dec. 4, right? All the lights, decorations and good cheer this time of year make winter somewhat more bearable, although, I don’t tolerate cold very well. Love the photo of you and your husband in front of the Christmas tree! 💞 Your dad doesn’t look his age. How wonderful to spend Christmas with him in the warm desert sun! You seem to get a lot of snow! 🥶 We used to, but recent years have been milder, although there’s plenty of the crappy white stuff further north. Happy Holidays to you and your family! 🥂

    https://thedogladysden.com/holiday-traditions-sundaystills-photography/

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    • Thank you so much, Debbie! Yes, the 4th. I’ve learned to enjoy the holiday hoopla and decor that helps punctuate my birthday. Dad looks great in 2008 when that first pic was taken. It sure is a big sacrifice to have to spend more days in the warm desert sun this year! 🤣 Thank you, again!

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