Southern moms (and grandmas!) pass on the best traditions! In honor of Mother’s Day, we asked readers to share their favorite pieces of family heritage the women in their families have passed down to them. Here are a few of our favorites:
A family blessing before we eat! (Gracious Lord, make us truly humble and thankful for this and all the foods that we may receive in Jesus name, Amen) – Brenda Weekley
My mom always cooked white rice with chili, so now that is how I prefer it. Not mixed together, but in separate bowls. I thought everyone served rice with chili, but I learned that is not the case. – Mandy Inman
Every time you light a campfire or bonfire with family while spending quality time or camping, you only use a page from the paper with good news on it. – Julie Landreth
My Mamma taught us to cook. I taught my son to cook, and now I am teaching my granddaughter and grandson. – Renee Rawlins
My mom always made BLTs and tomato soup for Halloween so we could eat quick and trick or treat. I carried it on to my kids. – Louana Wheaton
My mama and grandma taught me how to crochet simple granny square blankets. I still love doing it, and I’m teaching my kids how to do it. – Katie Sipes
My aunt always took us to the Hallmark store to pick out our own keepsake tree ornament and we always got to go to Build-a-Bear on Valentine’s Day. – Chloe Alana Adorno
Each Valentine’s Day morning, we would wake up to a candyfilled heart from Peter Valentine. It was odd, because no one else I knew was ever lucky enough to have Peter Valentine visit them. I still do this for my children (as well as for my husband), even though the kids are older now. – Bernadette Carty Haberman
My grandmother raised me and taught me many, many things but one of the best lessons I learned was her saying, “Take care of your character and don’t worry about your reputation, your reputation is merely what others think of you, your character is who you truly are.” I have been telling my son the same thing since he was a young boy! – Susan Morrell
My mom always made really fun Easter baskets for us, from new bathing suits to candy and games…even when we went off to college. Now I make them for my college-age and older daughters and nieces, and their husbands and fiancés. I add gag gifts, too. – Stephanie Piercy
My mom made the same Easter eggs that her mom made us—dark chocolate covered cherry and walnut nougat, decorated with our names and spring flowers. – Kelley Courington Stillman
We always had a code phrase that I could call [my mom] and she would pick me up where I was, no questions asked. I used it several times. It was: “How’s aunt Dorothy?” Then my mom would respond with “dead” after she died. My kids have used it before, and one time my son had been carjacked, so I knew right away something was wrong by that simple phrase and was able to get on the phone with the police and track him down! – Debbie Menendez Conti