Growing up in America, most of us know that margarine containers rarely contained margarine. They were used to store leftovers. Which made finding the margarine a bit of a game. It also seems that those containers rarely had missing lids/bottoms like the new, sleeker incarnation.

Another shared struggle, most Americans of a certain age shared was the cookie tin. Cookie tins always contained sewing notions. I’ve proudly carried on the tradition with a dragon’s horde of buttons. In fact, until I became an adult and saw such tins at Costco, I didn’t actually think cookies came in tins. Live and learn.

But let’s talk about another oddity and see how many of us share it. There is this habit to put out nuts (in the shell) in a bowl during the holidays. Usually, it’s a mixed selection of walnuts, pecans, almonds, Brazil nuts, and hazelnuts. A silver nutcracker is added to the mix and you kind of help yourself. I’ve continued the tradition but limit the selection to my favorites—hazelnuts and almonds.

And lastly, let’s talk ribbon candy. Yes, these sweeties appeared during the holidays and were the only candy left out, in the open, for anyone to eat. The bright colors were so tempting and cheery. And, frankly, I didn’t like them. Which isn’t to say I wouldn’t eat them, but sometimes you got a flavor you liked and other times it had to be spat out because it was hideous. At the end of the season, the remaining candies had melted together so that only the desperate would try to chisel off a piece (with a flavor not even Willie Wonka dared to create).

So, anyone else encounter the last two traditions?

Until next time.