Holiday Traditions

The holiday season is my favorite time of year. Starting with Halloween through the New Year, I am the happiest girl in the world! I love the food, the time with family, the weather- but most of all, I love the traditions. This is somewhat of a paradox, I know. I generally prefer to break the mold, but in this area, I am perfectly content to staunchly follow tradition!

Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. For me, this means the entire family gathers at my mom's house for the day. We usually play some sort of game- basketball, volleyball, kickball, depending on how much of our extended family has joined us. Then there is the food, of course! As a child,  I HATED Thanksgiving because the only thing I liked were the rolls! I am still not a fan of stuffing, cranberry sauce or pumpkin pie, but I do love the turkey, green bean casserole and of course, the rolls! After lunch, we all sit down with the ads for Black Friday and  map out our shopping plan for the next day.

I happen to be a huge fan of Black Friday. I rarely go for any big ticket items, make more than a couple purchases, or make any real progress on holiday gift buying. I simply go because I thoroughly enjoy the mayhem. Traditionally speaking, this is the day people begin playing Christmas music (although I am aware that there are the unbalanced few who break the rules and play it earlier!!!). The hustle and bustle of the crowd, with so many crazed individuals that people-watching is at it's best! And then there is the weather. Here in Arizona, it doesn't truly feel like fall until now, with a crispness to the air and a chill that signals the holidays have arrived!

The weekend after Thanksgiving is also when I put up my Christmas tree! I prefer a live tree. I love going to buy the tree, picking the perfect one off the lot! The smell when you bring it into the house screams "Christmas is coming!!!" Decorating the tree is a family event, with Christmas music playing, stories about different ornaments told, laughter and love radiating as anticipation for the season grows. Then we all sit in the darkened house with only the lights from the tree glowing, soaking up the serenity of the moment together.

There are so many traditions I pack into this time of year, I could write on and on about all the things we do! Instead, I will sit here and reminisce on them as I sit on eternal hold with an insurance company at work. I wish you all happiness and peace this holiday season.