Subtle Celebrations for Minor Holidays in Honor of My Mom

My mom was a master at subtle holiday celebrations.  So subtle that I'm pretty sure most of my siblings don't even remember this.   One thing to remind you up front - I have a much better memory than the average person and much better than all of my siblings.  With that, I also am able to see patterns and notice things repeating that most people would miss.  

For example, Mom would always make Chinese food for the Chinese New Year.  Now LaCoy Chop Suey (from a can) was part of our dinner regular rotation of meals so it was nothing out of the ordinary.  And the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same date - it is sometime between later January and mid February.   Like I said, Mom was subtle so while she would mention it was the Chinese New Year - that was all it would get, a mention.  Without a good memory it would be easy to miss that she made Chinese food every year on the Chinese New Year.

Another example is that she always had a cherry item for President's Day in honor of George Washington and his well know story of chopping down the cherry tree.  This was usually dessert - and would have been harder to notice.  Sometimes all it took was adding those sour cherry valentines candy to our brown bag lunches.  It was there , but it was subtle.

I find my self emulating her and doing something little (and like her usually food related) to celebrate the minor holidays.  It makes me happy to do this and think of my Mom who has been gone now for 14 years.  I still miss her.