Saturday, December 25, 2010

The Christmas Puzzle Tradition

We have pretty much the same traditions in our home as most other people this time of year. I enjoy making my famous chicken nugget casserole, wearing my purple lederhosen, and singing African tribal songs. I also work on our traditional Christmas puzzle.


When I was a a kid, my parents would do puzzles over Christmas break. Back in the early 80's, they bought a Springbok 1,000 piece puzzle and they'd do it every year. When I got married they gave it to me and I've moved the tradition to my family. The puzzle has a retro feel to it with a bunch of detail and it features the poem "The Night Before Christmas" scattered throughout it.

Some friends and family vanish or fake a seizure when I bring it out, but others actually enjoy working on it. We used to leisurely work on it for weeks, but over the years we've gotten more competitive and usually try to beat our record which is around 2.5 hours. It's getting easier now that my kids are older and are able to contribute more than they used to.

 It's a miracle that after all these years we haven't lost any pieces. In fact, it has grown from a 1,000 piece puzzle to about 1,020 pieces. I hope you enjoyed your Christmas and have fun with your family's traditions too.

7 comments:

tammy said...

That's a very cool puzzle and a very fun tradition!

Anonymous said...

What a great Christmas tradition. I have been looking for a good chicken nugget casserole recipe.

Happy Holidays!

Kelly T

ISRAEL CARRASCO said...

I suck so bad at puzzles.

Cheeseboy said...

I love puzzles, but I can find one piece for every 10 my wife finds and it drives me bat crazy.

"famous chicken nugget casserole, wearing my purple lederhosen, and singing African tribal songs" ha ha! I want to spend Christmas at your house next year.

Pedaling said...

ah, yes...sounds like your traditions are just the same as the rest of ours.
we'll have to compare chicken nugget casserole recipes some time! ;)

that puzzle is a work of art!

Kal said...

What a great idea. I have never heard of that but it's a great project for everyone to get involved in. The placing of the last piece must be an event, right?

Unknown said...

I love it! :)