I was informed immediately that it could NOT go up but that I could go ahead and get it. So it’s been sitting in our garage, weeping quietly inside its box.
I JUST WANT
TO SET IT FREEEEEE!!!
But I
cannot. I promised Cody I would hold back until December 6. It hurts a bit
since growing up, we’d go get our tree on Black Friday and would spend the
Thanksgiving weekend eating leftover pie for breakfast and trimming our tree to
the tune of Mariah Carey’s Christmas album (is there any other holiday album
worth playing? Let’s be honest…). I
don’t get why he is so against Christmas. His Birthday is on Christmas! Yep!
Cody was born on Christmas Day. Although, maybe that’s WHY he’s being a
Scrooge?
I know a lot
of people hate my kind but I’m sorry, I just LOVE the holiday season. I get
that it gets obnoxious for those who don’t particularly enjoy the season (cough
GRINCHES cough) but it’s just a magical time of year.
 |
| My cube at work last year! Weeeeee! |
Ever since I
was little, I have had the pleasure of celebrating Christmas right along with Chanukah. And before you ask, noooo, I did not get double presents. Being
raised by an Italian Catholic father and a Russian Jewish mother was kind of a
lot of fun. My parents were laid back about it. My sisters and I weren’t
baptized nor did we have bat mitzvahs. They wanted to let us follow the path we
wanted. So we’d celebrate the high holidays in temple but we’d also get Easter
baskets and have Christmas.
In the end, all of took an end of the spectrum – I feel more Catholic, Emma (my younger sister) still follows Judaism, and Tory (my older sister) is an Atheist and could care less.
Still,
growing up with so much culture rocked. I love any Holiday but this time of
year is my absolute favorite. I mean, come on, I can buy all my loved ones
presents? So many possibilities! I love it. I go a little crazy. It’s all in
the Holiday spirit.
 |
| Mmmmm latkes! |
It’s more
than gifts for me , though (although shopping for people is one of my absolute
favorite things to do). It’s about the FOOD and the family gatherings and the
giving back. I love Thanksgiving (this year we hosted our own FRIENDSgiving and
had our friends all bring an item they love) and the food that comes with it. I
love Chanukah and the traditions. I love Christmas and how my family has done
the same thing every year forever – fish and calamari on Christmas eve, an
Italian feast on Christmas day.
At work, EMC
runs a Snow Man Drive (more on this in an upcoming blog post!). These occur in a lot of places like church or schools.
They put out tags that contain a child’s age, size, and preferences for gifts.
These are kids that are less fortunate and might not even get a Christmas. SARA
TO THE RESCUE! I always take at least two tags and GO NUTS.
Why NOT? These kids might not get any gifts beside the one I am getting. It’s a lot of fun
for me to provide a gift to a child I will never see or meet. I love knowing I
am making him or her happy. Warms your soul, I tell ya!
 |
| My ugly ice skater holiday sweater from two years ago |
So I get it.
I get that the holidays make some people want to puke or shoot themselves in
the head but I am not on that bandwagon. I see the Best Buy, Target, and
Mercedes holiday commercials start right after Halloween and smile. They bring
me to my happy place. Happy Holidays!
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| Cody & I at Faneuil Hall in Boston last year |
