It’s HERE!!
The holidays are here! I don’t know about the rest of you, but I just love this time of year. The twinkle lights, the music, the colors, the festivities, the food…
The crowds, the traffic, the angry people who missed out on the last Tickle-Me Elmo, the last minute shopping…
A-HEM, let’s focus on the positive, shall we, Mr. Scrooge-y-Pants?!
Now for those of you who don’t know me very well, I will say up front that I am a purist when it comes to many things: peppermint tea (no sugar/milk/lemon/etc,), solid wood furniture (particle board is Evil Come to Roost) and mint chocolate chip ice cream (no sprinkles, hot fudge or cherries, thankyouverymuch).
The holidays are no exception. In my house, there is not a single note of holiday music until 12:01pm ET on Thanksgiving Day because that is when Santa and the Rockettes wrap up the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We do not do fake trees or wreaths in my house–only sweet-smelling Frasier firs are allowed past the threshold. We do not do electric menorahs–only the real thing with the high quality candles, placed in a strategic location (NOT below an air vent, which would cause the candles to burn down unevenly). Presents are wrapped by the hand of someone whose last name I know–no store-wrapping for me–because the bow must match or at least “go” with the wrapping paper. We make sufganiyot and fruitcake from scratch–the fruitcake is actually a Kentucky Bourbon Cake (that’s fruitcake soaked in bourbon), and it goes really well with eggnog.
But truly, the best part about the holidays is the fact that people seem more inclined to be good to each other. (To be honest, I’m not sure that statement is true. Are people actually nicer during the holidays or are we just more likely to notice the nice things people do? Perhaps this is a chicken and egg kind of question.) For me, I try to remember that the jerk who just cut me off on the exit ramp may actually be a single mom who is rushing to pick up her son from daycare on time before heading home to cook dinner, help with homework and sympathize with her pre-teen who was picked last in gym class that afternoon
And you know, I really do believe that people go out of their way to do good things for each other during the holiday season. December is a great time because we get to hear about all of the good deeds that are done. SO from me to you, from my family to yours, happy holidays and all our best wishes for a safe, relaxing and joy-filled New Year!
