Page 142 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2024

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A MELTING POT
story by Holly Harrison and Shannon Stage photos courtesy of the Nicolet Family
If you cannot believe it is already December and holiday time again, you are not alone. It is said the older you get; the faster time moves but we refuse to believe it is our fault. From the moment of the first kickoff of the football season to Tis the Season, time just zooms. Holidays seem to run together, and the last four months of the year are a blur. We are convinced time accelerates every fall.
Back when we were children, we could not wait for all the holiday festivities to begin. We loved the cooler weather, shopping for presents, decorating the house, and dreaming of what Santa might bring down the chimney. But even then, the holidays seemed to fly by, and ended much too soon. We were too young to see the bigger picture of what the holidays were all about.
We missed the small gestures of giving that reveal the true meaning of the holidays. We did not recognize the joy on our parents faces when we messily, but proudly decorated an angel cookie. We did not see the kindness in the eyes of the Santa- suited volunteer ringing a bell for donations. We missed the
142 | December 2024
of Holiday Memories
sounds of excitement in our friends’ voices that we can only hear when we truly listen. And we surely did not recognize the peacefulness that comes in the quiet of a church on Christmas Eve and the emotional response to a choir piercing the silence.
What most of us do remember about the holidays is being with family, the crazy kin folks, or the times when we could not be with them. Family traditions wrapped up in the relatives are gifts that we hope you continue to give yourself year after year. And while there may be times, we cannot be with our families in late December the spirit of Christmas can be celebrated any time we bring everyone together.
The Nicolet family, relatives of relatives, shared a special tradition with us that we think is worth passing along for
your next holiday or special visit. Claude Nicolet was born in Switzerland and grew up helping his mother create a traditional family dish – cheese fondue. If you are of a certain age, you will remember what a fondue pot is. You probably still have one in its original box in the garage.
His experience making this classic Swiss food celebration www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living