We really don't have many traditional family ... things nor events .... but there is something that's shared over time. It's the respect that you hold for yourself and your family. At every function and ceremony, it's reinforced into us.

That we are to support and be supported by each other.

A. {andrea@irenicembers.org}   3 Jul 2002


Donuts whenever mom went out of town and left us guys to our own devices. Sugary cereals only on Christmas morning. Buckeyes at Christmas. All of our traditions were food related, it now occurs to me.

Mneme   3 Jul 2002


before fireworks were outlawed in l.a. county, the 4th of July meant sitting in traffic on the 405 in the early afternoon on the way to Inglewood and then running around the house like a maniac with my cousin for a few hours until the food came out.

everyone on my aunt's street always ended up eating at the same time, which i only noticed because everyone also ate outside in their front yards. once most of the food was eaten, the fireworks came out and the street lit up like ... well, the 4th of July.

i miss that.

.sara   3 Jul 2002


Back when we still lived on the cul-de-sac, we'd have an honest-to-God street party. We'd get a barricade from the city, close off our street from wandering traffic, and go to town. Mrs. Baer would make salsa and margaritas. Mrs. Roberts would make cookies and brownies. Mom would make her famous Whale Salad: she'd carve out a watermelon and shape it into a whale with a sparkler where the blowhole would be and fill it with fruit salad. And all of the kids would decorate our bikes with crepe paper and cutouts of George Washington and have a bike parade around the street. The older kids would lead the parade.

And then BBQ and fireworks of our own. And then we'd all turn our lawn chairs around to see the fireworks display at the country club down the street.

Adam Rakunas {rak@giro.org}   3 Jul 2002


Driving out of the county, to the next one over where they sell real fireworks, not the teeny, worthless ones they sell in the city here.

Going back home and waiting 'til dark to set off our illegal stash. Pops and bangs and flashes of light from all around the neighborhood let us know everyone else has done just the same.

Lighting sparklers and waving them around while Mom and Dad set off the big firecrackers, the ones that we were always too little to mess with ourselves.

I'm an adult now and Mom and Dad still get to light all the big ones, while I trace my name with a sparkler in the dark.

Katie Lohrenz {katie@badpoetry.net}   3 Jul 2002


In our neighborhood, we bring out the food and lawn chairs and gather around the street where our surplus of boys launch a continuous stream of fireworks. They dance in and around the half-lit fountains and smoky wreckage with a host of parents wincing or issuing the occasional admonition. Last year, after the fireworks were spent, a young visitor plugged in his acoustic and blew us away with a few Doyle Dikes tunes. Best 4th of July ever.

christopher   3 Jul 2002


When I was a kid, we would drive to the pond, park the car and watch as the fireworks from Toms River, N.J. lit up the sky over the bay. We would light the cat tail-things on fire...I guess to be a pyro for a day..and get eaten alive by mosquitos despite the gallon of OFF my Mom had sprayed on us. Good times.

Kelly   3 Jul 2002


Well, we didn't celebrate the fourth of July, because we lived in an Australian rural area in the early 1970s yet to be affected by US & European holidays...

But on the Queen's birthday we'd buy a huge bag from the Chinese fireworks stores in Canberra (Australia's Capital) -- an hour from our farm -- and build a bonfire with our neighbours down the road.

I remember crackers named after Swallows, Chrysanthemums and... (is there a nice way to say this?) Golden Showers. But the strongest memory is the cracker night our little dog jumped 4 feet in the air and caught a Catherine Wheel in his teeth then worried it into the dirt.

stuart ridley {namlook@zip.com.au}   3 Jul 2002


The only family tradition we have is that the whole family must get together as a family over Christmas. When all the kids and cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents (four generations' worth) gather in one house - usually my parents' - to celebrate. There will be the tree - which is probably not right given that my parents live in south India (a country where it never snows). Christmas morning we will all gather around the tree and exchange presents. Everyone, from the youngest grandchild to the most ornery uncle who never gets presents (not even for his own birthday) will get one. That's our tradition.

anju   4 Jul 2002


with my mom’s side of the family, christmas is a huge deal. if you don’t make it to gram’s for the holiday you better have a damn good excuse. we cram the whole family, all 20+ people into her 2 bedroom apartment in suburbia and eat till we sleep.

on my dad’s side we gathered at my grandparents house in detroit for christmas, but it always ended up that we were there on the 26th. the rest of the neighborhood was done celebrating. when i was 8 they moved out of detroit. but we still gathered at there new house till they both died. i spent the christmas before chris died with his family, in their old neighborhood.

liz   4 Jul 2002