One of the most cherished parts of the holidays are the traditions that are maintained within families and communities. They may be events or objects that hold a place of warmth in the heart or a special food or decoration that would render the holidays as incomplete without.

In my home, to have a Christmas Eve without my special sweet ‘n sour meatballs or a Christmas morning without orange Danish would be like the absence of a dear friend or loved one on a special occasion.

A tradition, which is often passed from one generation to the next, may be as simple as placing great-grandmother’s aged-worn angel on the top of the Christmas tree or as grand as a family going to the Nutcracker Suite each year.

The Oxford Hills are alive with traditions that the residents look forward to every holiday season starting with the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce-sponsored Christmas parade, always held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. There is also Christmas in Harrison, a tradition that involves the whole town. The area holds such events as annual concerts, plays, and tree lighting events that help make the season bright.

Stores staying open on Sunday throughout the holiday season and, in downtown Norway, Ladies’ Night and Men’s Night are shopping traditions that have been around for as long as this writer can remember.

And, all of us, within our own families, have traditions that are an important part of our holidays. For some, it’s the annual visit to the grandparents or the candlelight service on Christmas Eve.

The Wales family, of Norway, maintains a number of traditions that they hold dear. One is the hanging of a ceramic Christmas tree ornament. “The ornament opens,” said Renee Wales, “and Elijah (age 11) gets to pick out what to place in it and hang it on the tree wherever he wants.”

Elijah, along with his older brother, Reese (age 14), started the tradition of having Mom open the first present on Christmas morning, usually a gift that comes from one of them. For Reese, his favorite tradition is the hanging of his stocking, which he has had since he was very young. “It’s just a comfortable feeling to have the same stocking every year,” said Reese.

“I guess you could say that frantic gift wrapping late into the night on Christmas Eve is another tradition for us,” said Jay Wales, “since Renee and I end up doing it every year.” No doubt that is a tradition practiced in many households.

For Dundee Pratt, of Norway, an orange in the toe of the Christmas stocking is the tradition that means the most to her. When she was a little girl, Santa always put an orange in the toe of her stocking and that is a practice she maintains every year as she helps Santa fill stockings for everyone in her family. “No matter what else gets put in the stocking, an orange goes in first,” said Pratt.

Christmas stockings are also an important tradition for Gary and Lesley Dean, of Stoneham. “When my first son, Andrew, was born 27 years ago, my mother knit a Christmas stocking for him,” Lesley said. “Then she knit another one when my other son Ryan came along and we could not have Christmas without those stocking even though the boys are adults now.”

Christmas also would not be the same without a little Santa bear at the top of the Christmas tree. “I got the little bear the first year Gary and I were married for 1-1/2 books of S & H Green Stamps,” explained Lesley. “We didn’t have much money back then and few decorations for the tree so the Santa bear ended up as the tree topper and has carried out that duty every year since then.”

Nine-month old granddaughter, Brynn Dean, will celebrate her first Christmas this year and a grandson will be born before the holidays arrive. “This will be new beginnings, new traditions, and the passing of old traditions to the grandchildren,” smiled the proud grandmother.

Traditions maintained within families from year to year and generation to generation warm the heart and stir special memories that last a lifetime. Maybe it is the heirloom china only used for Thanksgiving dinner or an ornament made in grade school by a child that holds a special place on the Christmas tree.

Whatever is done year after year, be it an item or a practice, is by definition a tradition. It is never too late to start a new tradition and it is guaranteed that it will be a gift that will keep on giving for many years to come.