Growing up my family had their own set of traditions.   Jeff’s family also has their own traditions.  So, as you can imagine and I’m sure may have experienced yourself, the merging of traditions into your own family can be difficult.  Growing up we decorated the day after thanksgiving (I should add that christmas is my favorite holiday).  I went all out, garland up the banisters and stockings on the mantel.  The tree could light a whole room with all its lights!  I tended to love and take over christmas decorating, except the outside lights.  I am terrified of heights and I am not to be trusted on roofs.  My dad always got chosen as the unlucky victim of putting up the outside lights.   This brings us to the long standing debate of when is christmas really over.
As a kid we took decorations down around the 6th.  My husband Jeff however, thinks that new years day is the best day.   In an effort to merge our traditions I caved to christmas being over on New Years.  I do however decorate for christmas the day after thanksgiving (except for the tree since we now use real trees).  This brings me to merging traditions.  I was intregrarted into my new family while still holding onto my own family’s traditions, I urge you all to remember that love, compromise and communication is key.  Keeping those things most important will get you through the hard times.

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