Nostalgia, Traditions and Cookies!

Definition of NOSTALGIA

1: the state of being homesick : homesickness

2: a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition; also : something that evokes nostalgia 

Nostalgia is often triggered by something reminding the individual of an event or item from their past. The resulting emotion can vary from happiness to sorrow. The term of "feeling nostalgic" is more commonly used to describe pleasurable emotions associated with and/or a longing to go back to a particular period of time.

I can look at my grandma's pizzelle iron and instantly become nostalgic.  Takes me back to being a little girl making cookies with my grandma and mom. Lots of cookies.  It was a Christmas tradition that I looked forward to every year.  The three of us would gather in my grandma's kitchen with Christmas music playing in the background.  We would sit and work at the table while the aroma of fresh baked cookies filled the air. We made dozens upon dozens of cookies. At the end of the night, my grandma would pack up a huge tray for us to take home.  Then there was the excitement of which cookies to put out for Santa on Christmas Eve.  I always made sure to place a nice assortment on the special Santa plate.  Then rushing out Christmas morning to see which cookies he ate.  Sometimes he would leave bite marks in them which was always so cool to see. Such fond memories.  I am trying to continue that tradition with my girls.  One such cookie that we always made and just instantly makes me think of my grandma is pizzelles. Pizzelles are Italian waffle-like cookies made from flour, sugar, eggs, and butter and typically flavored with anise or vanilla. The name pizzelle comes from the Italian pizze, meaning "flat" or "round."  My grandma had a pizzelle iron that her mother had given her.  I now have that iron and will pass it on to my girls when they get older. Wonder what cookies they will choose to leave out for Santa?  I know he likes pizzelles!