Canasta: A Family Tradition

February Challenge Question 9:

 

9. What is your favorite family tradition?

 

Canasta! When my family gets together over holidays (or non-holidays) we always play Canasta. There's usually lots of trash talk, potty humor, and snacks involved, so as you can imagine, we have lots of fun.

 

We usually play partners.  Then we each give our team some original name like "The Winners" or "The Sharks." My Dad and Uncle Mike make up one team, Mom and Granny another, and my sister, Molly, and I the other. 

 

Molly and I weren't allowed to play when we were little, however. Canasta is for adults.  They would start playing when it was time for us to go to bed, so the game was always very intriguing.  When they finally decided we wouldn't be too annoying to try to play with, they put us together as a team.  They didn't want to join with either of us to form a new team; we’d be a liability.  And they were right.  We were awful. 

 

Then one day while Molly and I were losing again, I finally dragged her aside for a little heart to heart. "Molly, the key to Canasta is to make canastas," I told her emphatically.  I wanted to win. That little heart to heart was all it took.  After that we had about a year long winning streak. It was awesome.

 

When Michael and I got engaged, I knew that meant he would become my new Canasta partner.  He had to learn the game.  And to my joy, he's been a pretty good partner.  I just give him heart to hearts every now and then. ;)

Some family photos:




Oh, you have to see what Michael listed as his favorite family traditions:

 

Chocolate rolls on New Years' Day

Cream cheese braids on Christmas morning

Cherry and chocolate pie on Thanksgiving

Chocolate chip cheesecake on my birthday

Key lime pie on Dad's birthday

 

Notice a theme?