Christmas Oysters and Cocktail Shrimp

Family traditions aren't always explainable--like, how did they start? when did we start doing this every year?--but needless to say, every family has them--especially at Christmas.

Growing up, one of our traditions was to spend Christmas Day at my Aunt and Uncle's with primarily Big Don's side of the family. The menu is always the same--fried oysters, shrimp cocktail, ham, mashed potatoes, cinnamon apple rings, green beans, sweet potato casserole... just to mention a few items.

Big Don has a way of making you sample cuisine that you may not like at these types of family functions--especially with me and oysters. It starts out with a simple "do you want any oysters?"... no thanks... "you don't want any oysters?"... nah, that's okay.. I may get some later... "do you not like oysters?"... no, not really... "why do you not want any oysters--have you even tried them?"... dad, I don't want any oysters... "you sure you don't want any oysters?"... no dad, we have this conversation every Christmas for the past 20 plus years... "we do? I can't believe you don't want any oysters! you sure you don't want any? just try one.. you will like it"... *by this point, everyone at the table is getting frustrated because Big Don is holding up the flow of our clockwise plate passing pattern and holding the oyster plate hostage*...I am good dad. I don't want any oysters... "Just try it, you will like it"... dad, you made me try just one for the last 26 years and I still don't like them. it's not going to change... "oh c'mon.. just eat one. they are good..."...DAD. I don't want any oysters. I do not like them... *as he puts 3 oysters on my plate* "oh now, you don't know that you don't like them if you don't eat them.. just try them"...

Big Don also does this to other family members. My Great-Aunt Ona was always old in my eyes--but I mean, the lady died in 2007 at the age of 103--so of course she really was old my entire life. Every year without fail Big Don would force the cocktail shrimp on Aunt Ona... "Ona, do you want any shrimp?"... no thanks... "you sure you don't want any shrimp?"... no, that's okay... "just try one, you will like it!'...that's okay.. I am just sticking to ham and oysters... "you sure you don't want any shrimp?"... no, never really like the color of them... "oh c'mon.. just eat one. they are good!"... Needless to say, every time the plate of shrimp passed by Big Don he would ask Aunt Ona if she wanted any shrimp just to hear her say "never really liked the color of them" on repeat... either the lady had amazing patience or her short term memory failed her because she never got fed up with Big Don asking her to try a shrimp... and Big Don never got tired of asking her.

So, on Christmas Day, we will have the usual menu. We will laugh as the shrimp gets passed around and my sister and I will do our best Aunt Ona voices "never really liked the color of them"... I will be forced to eat an oyster and proclaim that I am still not a fan... after all, it's a family tradition.