Traditions, traditions, traditions!!!  We all have made fun of our own or those of others, but I'm convinced that traditions are the stuffing that shape a culture.  
     I'm a Southern woman who married a German Guy, lived in Texas, then came to Uruguay. Boy howdy, do we ever have some mish-mash of traditions at our house!  I'm not complaining, as I get the best Christmas traditions from all three cultures:  pecan pies and divinity (Southern); lebkuchen cookies and semmelknödel dumplings (Germany); summer  watermelons at the beach (Uruguay).
​     These semmelknödel, are fun to make!  I looked at Hubby like he was nuts when he asked for a piece of cloth or dishtowel for making these.  I had no idea.  The cloth or dishtowel is wrapped around the dumpling tube to hold it together while cooking.  It all made sense once I watched it cook.
     No matter where we are, we love to eat these on Christmas Day with a pork loin or a roast chicken and some great red cabbage.  Here's our grandmother's recipe; it's yummy:  Maria Schlehuber's Red Cabbage.  And here's my mother-in-law's recipe for Lebkuchen Spice Bars.
Whatever your holiday traditions may be, always cherish them and don't be afraid to change things up and add new ones.