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The holidays are a great time of year. The time when we reflect on family memories and traditions, immerse ourselves in feel-good thoughts and enjoy the guiltless gluttony of a few magical weeks of belt-loosening food. It’s also that time of year where the best of things get over-done/over used/ over played/ over re-hashed-- you know what I mean. Seriously, do we need to see your tourtière picture? Maybe. But after seeing about 600 other people’s pics, the answer is no.
That last part might strike a nerve with some people, so before you start throwing out “Grinch,” “Scrooge” and other names often replaced with symbols on the number keys, hear me out.
The early bird gets the worm-- the person who posts before Thanksgiving sets the rest of us in motion. We need to see your tourtière. You get to be the hero. Then comes the trickle of follow-up peeps who share theirs; good on them for taking the hint and ensuring that our most prized holiday tradition is alive, well, and passed on! But then the trickle continues, and the concept loses its punch. Like the family holiday story that you hear every year, it starts to become background noise, and even gets a little old. But even that’s OK-- I mean, you can skim the posts, take comfort in the fact that the tradition is alive, and know that yours will be coming out of the oven soon.
But, unlike that same family story, there are a lot more people telling this one. The holiday season is indeed that-- a season-- and New Years is still a loooong ways away. By this point, you’re bombarded with never-ending pictures, stories, and statements about “the T word.” You realize that the posting about this holiday treat has taken on the life of a certain holiday song which shall remain nameless. Yes, it’s true; too much of a good thing-- getting inundated with it--becomes nails on a chalkboard, and you just want it to stop.
I’m not saying stop tourtière posts altogether. I am saying let’s apply some moderation. Maybe a little “tourtière posting etiquette.” If you’re seeing multiple posts per day in your preferred social media platform, maybe hold off. Perhaps those platforms need to have a dedicated thread where we can go if we choose to. Maybe we need to diversify our traditional bragging rights with other foods, stories etc. Any way you slice, let simply not overdo that one thing. Let's exercise a little tourtière posting moderation.
But what are those other “things” that can diversify our holiday posts? Let's consider things like:
-Explore some other recipes from your upbringing. If you put it out there, chances are, you’ll find you’re not the only one who had it, and we’ll all come to realize another great Franco holiday recipe.
-Share some other family traditions and stories.
-Update us on the family tree and other genealogy projects. When else are we all together and talking about “the family?”
-A BIG one (a pet peeve of mine); make sure you’re living in the present. That’s right-- traditions are things from the past which are great, but don’t neglect the present. Why not skip all the presents and cooking, and use the holidays to take that family trip to Quebec or the Maritimes? Go for the purpose of taking in what’s happening NOW. What are foods, songs, events, and traditions going “back in the homeland.” I’d LOVE to see those posts!
-Most importantly: what do YOU think we have or can do, that’s worth a holiday share? (we have a comments section for that!)
So, there you have it. I love tourtière as much as you. It’s early November, and I’ve already made one. In fact, I hope by reading this post, you head to the kitchen and start mixing a crust. Keep it going, keep the tradition alive, just don’t… you know… be post # 601 of the day