We humans love to celebrate.
But we all have our own style. For some, a party isn’t complete without special food. For others it’s all about the music, or the decorations, or the venue …
There’s no right or wrong way, but everybody has a preference.
Part of our family identity is wrapped up in how we celebrate together. We might not know where the traditions originated, but a party isn’t a party if those important elements are missing.
Right?
Up close and personal at an Ellis family celebration
Like many modern families, my sisters, aunts and cousins are spread across the country, from California to Texas to New England. Now that our matriarch, Gram Ellis, is no longer alive, we must find excuses to make the effort to gather together. Most recently the excuse was my father’s 80th birthday. (He’s currently the oldest of the clan.)
We journeyed out to Indiana to celebrate the big event. (Commemorated by the spiffy T-shirts you see in the photo.) And we spent the weekend in Ellis party style…
What elements made our weekend a traditional Ellis family celebration?
- Food. Lots of it. All made from scratch. Including Gram’s sticky rolls and homemade pies. (No store-bought birthday cake for this clan.)
- Frisbees. No Ellis gathering is complete without tossing a Frisbee around the lawn. Why? I don’t know. But I do know I always looked forward to Frisbee times with Dad, Uncle George and various cousins. Completely random, perhaps, but very important!
- Silly cards. No one with Ellis DNA is capable of giving a serious greeting card. The sillier and more pun-filled, the better.
- Oh Heck. Somehow this card game became the Official Game of all Ellis Gatherings. As with tossing a Frisbee, we start them young, so by the time they are ten they can hold their own against the adults. The second-most important game is a vintage 50s board game called Park & Shop, because in the 70s when we cousins were young : A) it was so old it was novel and B) the box still held all the pieces.
- Ice cream. When I was young, I was in awe of my grandfather’s ability to sniff out the nearest Dairy Queen—no matter where in the country we were. In his honor, most Ellis gatherings include a visit, en masse, to a local ice cream joint.
- Soft background music. As a child, I could not imagine my grandparents’ house without classical music playing in the background. (Often with Grandpa sitting in a corner, one hand conducting as he read the paper.) On the rare occasion someone switched to a local rock station, it sounded horribly out of place. Jazz has become an acceptable alternative, but even today our parties do not include throbbing beats or lively dance tunes.
- Laid-back attitude. Our gatherings are always low-key, with plenty of time to hang out and catch up on each other’s lives, along with the occasional impromptu excursion to a park, swimming pool, or local shoppe. (My grandparents’ hometown was full of artsy-craftsy shoppes.) In other words, more planning goes into the food than to any other activity. We like it that way.
So there it is, a glimpse of what we Ellises do when we have a party. I don’t know what this combination of activities says about our family, but I do know I’m content with it.
I’ll bet your family is different. What elements are most important for your family celebrations?
What elements do you hope will continue into the next generation?
Pat Weisel says
Looking at your pics, Lisa, I surmised the T-shirt element to be most important . . .until I saw that groaning board in the kitchen!! In our Weisel-Yanusko clan (about 25) it’s all about the food, of course . . .the loud back and forth of chatter and laughter (I mean Italian loud) AND at the beginning of the sit-down, holding hands and singing one of two “graces” in a round that we’ve used for lotsa years. That’s one I hope will go on way past me, the only one of my generation left. Such contentment knowing they all love eachother dearly . . . the beat will go on. Thanks for your sharing, Lisa!
Lisa says
The T-shirts were a new addition. It’s often the little things that really matter, isn’t it? Like singing grace or playing a favorite card game. And laughter is important, too!
Kathy says
What a beautiful family! Everything sounds awesome and so much fun. Thanks so much for sharing, Lisa!
Lisa says
So what makes your family times special?
Amanda says
love this. made me teary. LOVED having you all here. We forgot to play Park n Shop. Too much time spent in “hanging out” – and for that no regrets!!. Thanks for your memories and words, Lisa!
Lisa says
It was a GREAT weekend, even without Park & Shop. How wonderful that we have a family that enjoys time together. 🙂