the red ball tradition

While 2/3 of the country, I hear, was enjoying a white Christmas, we here in the usually sunny south experienced a torrential rainstorm. I waded out to bring my mother to our house to enjoy our traditional "special" Christmas brunch. My mother used to make this for all of us, but now it's up to me. There were only three of us, but I decided to carry on and make it a really nice occasion. When Mom came to the table she said, "Oh! Edam!" I had the remnant of our yearly Christmas Edam ball of cheese sitting on the table. Edam cheese has always been associated with Christmas for as long as I can remember, and we continue that tradition in our family.


My mother explained that her grandfather, a Dutch immigrant, always had Edam cheese at Christmas. And as his children married, he would give a red waxed ball of edam cheese as his Christmas gift to each family. After he died, my mother's father continued to go to the little shop in that northern New Jersey city, to purchase one for his family. And so the tradition continued. I remember the balls of cheese being a lot bigger than the ones we find today.


 I became curious about this tradition and sent an email to my cousins and second cousins to see if they also have Edam cheese at their house this time of year. So far most who responded do. The wonder of family traditions.