I know this is going to sound really weird, but Meatball Day is one of my favorite days of the year. Apparently, I’m late to the game, because there is already a National Meatball Day on March 9th, but that isn’t when we celebrate it. For my family it’s usually in the third week or so of December and has become a hallmark of our Christmas season (and I don’t mean those cheesy movies on TV . . .)
For Christmas dinner, my mother and stepfather put on this massive Buon Natale feast. A real traditional Italian Christmas dinner, with lots of yummy things to eat. And one of those tasty items is homemade Italian meatballs. Because there is often so much to cook and do on the actual day of the party, they start preparations for the feast a few weeks ahead of time, making what they can ahead of time and saving the things that need to be freshly done for Christmas Day. One of the make-ahead items is meatballs.
Some years ago, the days were starting to slip by in December and the meatballs hadn’t been made. So my mom called and asked if we would come over to make the meatballs. We love to cook, so of course we agreed, and a tradition was born. I think we have now celebrated Meatball Day for 8 years, and with two little helpers, we get lots of hands in the mix. This year, as you can see in the picture, we had plenty of supervision to keep us true to the family recipe, and it made the meatballs taste even better.
On Christmas Day the meatballs will be added to the spaghetti sauce and enjoyed by everyone. But for Kim, Abby, Maddy and I, the best-tasting ones are the freshly-made, right-out-of-the-oven meatballs that are crispy, hot, and too delicious to only eat just one. Over the years, we’ve had to increase the amount of ingredients to account for all of the taste-testing that takes place on Meatball Day.
What’s a fun tradition that you have that makes the holiday season extra special? We all have something that is unique to our family that maybe isn’t well understood by those outside the circle. When I say to people, “Oh, I’m not working today, it’s Meatball Day,” it definitely takes some explaining. It’s those unique traditions that make the season special. For me, it just isn’t Christmas without Meatball Day.
From everyone at Kerby’s, we hope that you have a very Merry Christmas. If you need a last-minute gift for a gardener, we’ll be open through noon on Christmas Eve. For the Christmas holiday, we’ll be closed on both the 25th and the 26th and will reopen on the 27th at 9 am. Have a great holiday and enjoy this special time of year.
