In the next few weeks, we of the United States of America will be celebrating several holidays.
As I write this, Halloween is fast approaching. I think it’s my favorite observance. It’s so happy and candy is the choice of food to celebrate this costumed, flavored day. How much better can it get?
And as I think of the other holidays — Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve and Day (with all the football games) — food does seem to be the way we find to show our love, to show our traditions, and to show our expertise in celebrating.
Wonder how this happened? I know a few of the reasons, or at least the reasons that are passed around.
Thanksgiving was a day of celebration for a good harvest and to be with family and friends and to give thanks for the good life that seemed to be happening.
Of course, Christmas was again a family event for showing love to your circle of people and to show off your traditions of worship and honoring those around you with presents, just like presents were brought to the newborn babe in the manger.
New Year: Originally it was meant to say goodbye to all the problems of the old year and to celebrate a chance to start fresh. It’s sort of lost its meaning and become a holiday of imbibing, both at midnight and all day during the ball games, but maybe some still celebrate the way it was intended.
And while I write this, I realize that I really like all of these celebratory days — for different reasons, for sure — but even if I’ve sort of wavered from the original reasons for the seasons, I realize we all have our own way of acknowledging them.
Take Halloween, for instance. This was my daughter’s birthday and I still love the kids at the door, the costumes, and the candy giveaway. It reminds me of all the fun parties we celebrated with her throughout the years.
And Thanksgiving: Most of my family is far away and I do get emails saying “have a happy,” but it’s not like expecting 15 people to dinner when you only have a 10-person dining room table. Good memories of younger days that included a kids’ table. I do miss that, but not all the work that it takes to pull it off.
And then, Christmas morning fun. I love remembering the kids getting up at the crack of dawn to see what Santa brought, and going to Grandma’s for dinner. Such good, fun memories.
Finally, New Year’s Eve and the ballgames. Once again, the memories of parties and dancing and funny hats and smooches all around at the strike of mid-night … well, good times. However, once again, my celebrating of this midnight-happening seldom happens. I try every year, but staying awake that late is, well … I usually miss the bells and whistles, and certainly the smooching.
Do you have a favorite holiday? Or maybe your family celebrates by getting together several times a year, not just on these designated holidays (and isn’t that the best)?
However you plan to spend this season, I hope it is at least a time filled with happy memories, like mine. In Hansville, you can start the season by attending the Wine Tasting Event Nov. 3, 6:30-9:30 p.m., at the Hansville Community Center, 6778 NE Buck Lake Road. Neighbors Luncheons are planned Nov. 21 and in December (date to be announced). Take the Holiday Home Tour. And I wonder if we’ll have carolers again this year?
I’ll see you there.
— Contact columnist Donna Lee Anderson at WellToldTales@aol.com.
