Everyone has a favorite holiday and this is the season that is my own personal favorite. I enjoy the decorations, the joyful music and especially the contact from friends and family. I was hopeful to share the community's memories but understand it was something new. Perhaps it may be best to show by example, so I will share some of my own experiences and hope we can try this again next year.

Many years ago I visited my Great Aunt Elsie Ames. The visit stands out so well in my mind because it made me appreciate how different traditions are based on what era you were raised.

During her childhood, there was no store purchased ornaments or garland. In fact, tree lights were not in use yet either.

It was enjoyable to listen to her describe just how her family decorated. They would spend a weekend cutting and making paper rings for garland, and then they would string the cranberries. Aunt Elsie's humor was in plentiful supply as she explained to me how they used candles to light the tree.

I quickly started to envision Victorian paintings with candles and bows. It was what she said next that got my attention.

Aunt Elsie said that they learned fast that you had to be careful when lighting the candles because one year they almost caught the tree on fire. She told me that after that, they placed the candles in the tree but didn't light them anymore out of fear of burning down the house. That story has stayed with me for years and how we laughed together as she shared her memories.

My own family has a special tradition that started with my grandparents. Our family matriarch was Pearl Kilmer. She married Oliver Wilson on Christmas Eve in 1911.

The following year, they had an anniversary party, and it continued every year thereafter. As a child, I always just thought it was a Christmas party and didn't learn the origin of the family gathering until I was an adult. Her parties were large, and her house was small, so I can remember having to navigate shoulder to shoulder to get around.

Many times I didn't know people's names but faces do become familiar. It was something I looked forward to every year. Even with the large attendance, she made it a point to spend individual time with anyone that wanted to come sit with her for a spell. We all took turns sitting next to her for that special time with her. Since grandmother lived just up the street we would walk over as a family, often singing carols along the way. It seemed like magic that at some point it would snow while we were walking to her house or on our return walk home.

In advanced age she would say she wasn't going to have a party anymore, but when the time came, we had one anyways. Then it became necessary to take the party to her when she was in nursing care. I always knew where I would be on Dec. 24, and to this day, my own family still gathers for hot chocolate and a nice visit.

Now the party has moved to my parent's, and my aunt's family does the same. My siblings have continued the legacy by also starting similar traditions with their own children.

It's amazing that our tradition can be credited to the marriage of a young couple in 1911. Thank you Gram and Gramps for such a wonderful tradition.

One year, a good friend of mine had brought me a gift, which I placed under our tree. I didn't give it any more thought. At Grandmother's party I was asked to run back over home for something, and I simply could not believe what I found. My gift had been a big box of chocolate and our dogs sniffed it out and had devoured the entire box. My goodness, our basset hound Snoopy (with markings like the peanut character) and our cocker spaniel named Taffy were so ill from their feast.

When I came back to Grams to report what took me so long, they had a good chuckle. After the holiday when my friend asked me how I liked my gift, I told him I liked it very much. I didn't have the heart to tell him what really happened. We were lucky because chocolate can be toxic to animals. If you have animals, please be cautious what you place under the tree.

For me, what I love the most about the holidays is the awareness of the many blessings in my life.

Dawn Roe is historian for the village of Port Byron. She can be reached at 776-8446 or e-mail beatatune@tds.net