Observe a Tradition

I took my daughter and niece, along with both grandmothers, to my hometown's little annual Christmas parade recently.  We got there really early and got a wonderful seat, so the girls really got to see each float up close.  We brought cocoa and blankets, and had such fun.  It brought back many memories for me... of clogging down that same road to the tune of Christmas songs, or playing the trumpet in the marching band with tiny pieces of Christma music clipped to the marching stand atop my trumpet, or riding on high school floats in many many parades on that same road.   How sweet to share some of the fun and magic with the girls.  And it was made even more special in that both grandmothers could enjoy it with us.

Are you a parade person, or would you rather observe other holiday traditions that are less freezing?  

A Mardi Gras Parade: You know, for kids!

This evening, Flannery's class, clad in their brightest silliest costumes, paraded from their school down the block to a cute little area called Brightleaf for a Mardi Gras parade.  The kids shouted, "Happy Mardi Gras!" to everyone along the way.  They had a great time being in their little parade, and it was fun for us to see them all together in a long (and rather unwieldy!) line being so proud of themselves.  I only had my iPhone with me, so forgive my blurry pictures, but I still thought they were cute!

What celebrations do you remember best from when you were a kid in school?