Every Christmas, we ate duck stuffed with wild rice. When my stepdad, a Minnesotan, came into the family, the only roast duck we knew was bright red, and rice was white — and tame. But we all grew to love the crackling skin and nutty dressing. Thus are traditions born: Somebody has a brainstorm one year and, suddenly, the holiday wouldn't be right without it.

What are your family holiday food traditions (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any other)? Or nonfood traditions — decorating, socializing, wrapping, gift-giving? Write us a brief note so we can share your joy in a Dec. 16 wrap-up. Send to Traditions, Island Life, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu HI 96802. Fax: 525-8055. Or e-mail wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.

— Wanda A. Adams

JUST PUBLISHED

ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT TABASCO

Know someone who's hot for hot sauce? There's a zesty new coffee-table book they might like to know about, especially if they have ever visited America's heart of hot, the McIlhenny Co. headquarters on Avery Island, La., where Tabasco is made. The book, "Tabasco: An Illustrated History" (McIlhenny Co., hardcover, $49.95) celebrates the brand's 140th anniversary and makes use of previously untapped documents from the company's archives, exploring the sauce's origins from its birth in the ashes of the Civil War. There are historical recipes, too. It's in some bookstores and also available from online sources ($32.97 at Amazon.com).