When Holiday ‘Tradition’ Means Making Your Own

No one in my family is quite sure where the Virginia peanuts came from, or why my grandmother started giving them to us; our family doesn’t have any ties to Virginia, nor do I ever remember her talking about them.

One year they were just there, tucked into gift bags at a family gathering outside Chicago, and then every year after. (I’ve come to learn the peanuts are known for their distinctive size, flavor and crunch, which can be attributed to the sandy soil where they grow.)

Christmas was my grandmother’s favorite holiday, and since her death six years ago, I’ve taken to ordering them for myself this time of year: one tin of salted and another chocolate-covered, the same ones she would give us. It’s become a small way of honoring the big role she played in my life.

Responders to a recent Times questionnaire asking readers about their traditions revealed ones of similarly murky origins.For Laurie Bennett of Ridgewood, Queens, it’s singing to the turkey with her sister as it roasts outside. The siblings’ set list includes “We Gather Together” and “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come.”(And yes, according to Ms. Bennett, it does make the turkey taste better.)

Roni Alexander, of Tempe, Ariz., has an annual contest with her family to see who can bring the wackiest wine label — past favorites include 7 Deadly Zins and Cat’s Pee on a Gooseberry Bush — to Thanksgiving dinner.