The whole Christmas season has always been my favorite time of year. I get this from my dad. Thanksgiving is celebrated with a big feast and then the preparing begins - listening to Christmas music, baking, shopping for presents, decorating, general merry-making. With the two babes there were fewer things on my to-do list this year. I did most of my shopping online, and no one got a homemade present this year, but there was a tree and cookies and all the Cristmas music we could ask for. We had lunch out one day and friends over for dinner a couple of times. Alessia met Santa in Downtown Crossing and ate her first candy cane. We went to Malden's tree lighting where two youth choirs sang Christmas carols, and there was a countdown to turn on the lights. The countdown was then repeated at home every morning. My friend Jen had us over to decorate gingerbread houses. Pointing out Christmas trees became a regular past time, on city streets, in stores, in our favorite coffee shops. I bought a child friendly manger scene, and we talked about the baby Jesus' birthday. Then, on Christmas Day, presents!
So, what happens now? I know quite a few people who have a hard time with the post-Christmas season. This is my advice. Don't stop celebrating the day after Christmas. Leave the tree up until Twelth Night, and make a special pot of tea or coffee or hot chocolate to sip while taking it down. Celebrate New Years, even if it's just a slightly-more-special-than-ordinary dinner with the family. Have friends over for an everyday dinner for no particular reason whatsoever. If you garden, by seeds. Eat chocolate on Valentine's Day, buy a cake for Fat Tuesday and eat beans on Ash Wednesday, make corned beef and cabbage on St. Patty's Day, come up with your own special days. My sister celebrates her kids' "half birthdays" in January and February. You don't need to go crazy. We're not trying to replicate the grand celebrations of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Just do a little something to acknowledge the day as different than all the other cold and gray days of winter.
Postato con Blogsy
Good advice! My husband and I used to celebrate New Year's Eve by putting together our (rather massive) seed order. And I remember us taking Suzanne out of school to celebrate the first day of spring. (I don't remember how that went over with the school administration.)
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures, Kathleen. I see an avid book reader (probably two) in your future. And by the way, I love your rug! The style is similar to a couple of mine.
Very good advice. It really is the "little things" that create big memories. And today was Abby's half birthday celebrated with 9 1/2 cupcakes! Such fun!
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