Donna Zolandz saw the request posted online among The Dialog social media streams.
“Tell us about your favorite Christmas traditions.”
Dialog staff would put all the entries in a random drawing and the winner would get two tickets to The New York Tenors “Magic of Christmas” concert at Salesianum on Dec. 11.
It didn’t take long for the retired kindergarten teacher from Wilmington to come up with an answer.
Her favorite memories come from the annual tradition of making gingerbread and watching movies with her five granddaughters.
“That just makes your heart sing,” said Zolandz, a parishioner at St. Hedwig and former teacher at Corpus Christi and Christ the Teacher schools. “The memories last forever.”
She makes those memories during the baking session and pre-Christmas sleepover at her house with the girls who range in age from second grade to sophomore in high school. She saw the post about a week ago and realized she needed to set the date for the annual family gathering.
“I enjoy it as much as they do,” Donna said.
Donna put the comment on Instagram and her name was drawn from a handful of others in the random drawing to win concert tickets. Her husband, who she describes as “chief chef” at her house, is Deacon Ray Zolandz from St. Hedwig.
Some others chimed in with some favorites of their own.
From Facebook:
“Our parish, IHM, has a giving tree each year. We take tags and purchase gifts for those less fortunate. Always puts me in the Christmas spirit!”
Some were even simpler.
“It’s a bit of a cop out, I guess, but my family’s favorite tradition is putting the ornaments on the tree.”
Dialog editor Joseph P. Owens shared his own family memory on the Facebook post.
“I grew up in the same house my Mom did, so many of the traditions came from her parents. The biggest tradition at Christmas was erecting the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. We did it every year she lived there. We didn’t carry the tradition to our house. It goes up a couple of weeks earlier. But all my kids and their cousins spent Christmas Eve of their youth putting up MomMom’s Christmas tree and then going to church. A great tradition.”
And another user from Instagram:
“Setting up our Nativity Scene at home .. I did it as a child, I am teaching my child, and I still have the antique statue set from probably the 1940s … I remember loving to set up the animals and switch their spots as a little girl … and best part was putting Jesus in his manager statue in the stable on Christmas morning.”
Proceeds from the concert benefit Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington. Tickets to the show are still available by clicking here.
Many thanks for the heartwarming stories shared. And have a Merry Christmas, from the staff at The Dialog.