Traditionally Speaking
The holidays!!!!
Whether you celebrate CHanuukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Festivus whatever...there is a feeling that comes along with it. I am not sure what it is, but somehow the holiday season brings out the best in people, if only for a while. Granted, there are some people who absolutely HATE the holidays, usually because of some type of familial memory they would rather forget, but for the most part, people usually look forward to the holiday season. Why do you think that is?
Do you? Why? What associations do you make with whatever holiday you celebrate? Are there special traditions that you and your family partake in for the December holiday? What about New Year's? Are there traditions that you would want to continue with your own families someday? What is your favorite part of your holiday?
And finally....what do you wish for this season? World peace? The end of of childhood hunger? Homes for everyone? An A in Lang? See the bathos, there? ;)
Whether you celebrate CHanuukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Festivus whatever...there is a feeling that comes along with it. I am not sure what it is, but somehow the holiday season brings out the best in people, if only for a while. Granted, there are some people who absolutely HATE the holidays, usually because of some type of familial memory they would rather forget, but for the most part, people usually look forward to the holiday season. Why do you think that is?
Do you? Why? What associations do you make with whatever holiday you celebrate? Are there special traditions that you and your family partake in for the December holiday? What about New Year's? Are there traditions that you would want to continue with your own families someday? What is your favorite part of your holiday?
And finally....what do you wish for this season? World peace? The end of of childhood hunger? Homes for everyone? An A in Lang? See the bathos, there? ;)
I absolutely love Christmas. There is something so magical about wearing an obnoxious holiday sweater, while listening to “All I Want For Christmas is You” as you drive around and gaze at the colorful display of lights strung across doorways and bushes outside every home. There is something so fulfilling about sitting aside the Christmas tree in your pj’s watching your loved ones unwrap your gift. Christmas is such a happy time and there is no better way to end the year.
ReplyDeleteLast Christmas however, kinda sucked. It was the first Christmas since my dad moved out. I’m not too close with my dad so his absence never bothered me until that Christmas Eve. We had just fought and for the first time I understood why we never got along, we are total opposites. It made me kinda sad that I kinda hated him because he’s not really a bad guy. Every Christmas Eve my dad would read us The Grinch and The Night Before Christmas, and he’d pause on the last word of each line and we would take turns finishing it. Then we would put out the cookies for Santa and place a magic key on the doorstep since we didn’t have a fire place. Finally, the three of us kids would scurry off to bed and my parents would exchange... anniversary gifts. That being said, you can only imagine how hard it was for my mother to stop viewing Christmas Eve as a wedding anniversary after two decades, and that made it hard for me because nothing hurts more than seeing my mom hurt.
That night there was a feeling of emptiness when there was nobody to read to us, it made me miss the man I thought my father was, or used to be, or maybe still is. In church I cried watching all the happy little family’s wondering how many daughters would grow up to hate their fathers.
And on that note, I’m really excited for this Christmas. The holidays have not been ruined for me even if I’m broke, single and still don’t have plans (or someone to kiss) for New Years. My biggest Christmas wish is to be happy, genuinely happy. I wish that everyone has a happy holiday, because even the worst of humanity deserve to feel that warm fuzzy feeling the word “Christmas” brings me.
I usually am not fond of these kind of questions because they usual result in people questioning my religion, and then when I tell them they give up because it doesn't make sense to them.
ReplyDeleteI celebrate Hanukkah with my mother and little sister, and last night was the final night of Hanukkah. I'm not Jewish, mind you. My religion is "drafted" in with the Jewish, but it isn't Jewish at all. My religion isn't even technically a religion, because my mom always says, "Religion is man-made; what we have isn't religion, it's a faith." I'm not even going to get into what my faith is called, because there IS no name for it. It's THAT ancient that there's only maybe a little more than a handful of people who have the same faith as us. See, in my faith, our creators is not a God and Jesus, they are Yahushua and Yahuah, and I still mix up who's who up to this day. And, no, they are not just name replacements for God and Jesus.
In our faith, we don't go to a building for worship, because that's against the 10 Commandments to worship any item or statue, a building like a church or synagogue included. We celebrate Shabbat as well, which starts Friday nights and ends Saturday nights, where we do no unnecessary work, which is why I do all of my homework on Friday (plus I get the whole weekend without homework). Anyways, this year was the first year we actually received Hanukkah gifts. My parents never did that before, and they aren't promising that they'll do it next year. We also don't do what some call a "Hanukkah bush", because, come on, that's literally just a mini version of a Christmas tree. I find it really insulting that people do that and still call it Hanukkah.
I wish I had latkes this Hanukkah, it's a very tasty dish for Hanukkah, but sadly I never had one before. This year's Hanukkah was very nice, too. Sadly my family doesn't really celebrate New Years, (But I secretly do), because my mom says it's an evil thing to celebrate. The holidays I'm not allowed to celebrate are Christmas, Easter, St. Patrick's, Valentines Day, or Halloween (basically I can only celebrate Hanukkah, birthdays, Thanksgiving, and any fasting days). I secretly celebrate Valentines Day, and in the future when I move out, I want to celebrate those other holidays at least once.
The holiday season is sort of a magical thing to people. There is this shift of emotions when December starts. Some people kind of can’t help but to either be happy all the time or sad. The whole month is associated with with Christmas. Weirdly enough I have had both emotions tied to christmas. Some years I am jumping up and down for Christmas and others I completely forget it's a thing. I’ve always had a good Christmas from what I can remember, but sometimes I associate christmas with getting older and that kind of ruins it for me. Christmas night we have a big dinner with my entire family. Because my dad isn’t from here and his family can’t exactly leave the Country right now, we have something from his home. It’s called Pan de jamon, it's a big thing of bread with raisins, olives and ham. New Years my family kind of splits up and goes to different places. During break it's the time where my family goes off and sees people they haven’t seen in forever. When I get older kids or not, I want to keep the tradition of the christmas dinner. It’s a very special thing to me, I’ve always feared that when my family would get older they would leave me. I’m the youngest of five and ever since I was a kid it would make me cry. Christmas dinner is one of those things where no matter where you are, you better be home in time. My christmas wish is that I’ll be able to one day meet the rest of my family. Half of my family resides in Venezuela, a country in a rut. They can’t come here because of the poverty and no availability for jobs. It breaks my heart not being able to see my new baby cousin and my grandmother who is the last one I have. Also another wish of mine would be to be able to break out of my shell. Be the person I so badly want to be but don’t have the power to become.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite time of the year is from October 1st (because it’s ~spooky~ month) all the way through November (Thanksgiving is great and all but on the 30th we celebrate the day a wonderful human being landed on this earth :) @me), then all the way up until New Year’s Eve (December 1st= CHRISTMAS).
ReplyDeleteChristmas was always made special for me growing up. My mom will tell me stories of five year old me waking up at 2am Christmas morning knocking on her door and whispering “Mom! Dad! It’s Christmas! Time to open presents!”. I would then run into my brother’s room and shake him until he woke up enough for me to tell him the too-soon news as well. That would be when my mom would walk me back to my room, shove a clock in my face, and tell me to go back to sleep. I was always so excited.
December 25th isn’t like this for everyone. For some it’s just a date while for people like me, it’s the day I have a countdown to in my bedroom. Not everyone had the same experiences with Christmas like I did. I am fortunate enough to have parents that get along and are still married. I am fortunate enough that they decide to spoil my brother and me every year. I am fortunate enough that I was born into a heritage that prioritizes family over anything else. I am fortunate that Christmas doesn’t tend to bring up repressed feelings that I know many people encounter.
This day doesn’t symbolize Jesus’s birthday to me because I didn’t grow up going to church every Sunday, however it doesn’t symbolize presents under a tree either. I know that on Christmas morning, I’m going to be sitting on a couch with a blanket and hot chocolate with my family gathered in a circle and Christmas movies on in the background. There’s no fighting, no yelling (besides the normal volume of an Italian household), and no bickering. Just the sounds of wrapping paper tearing and a plethora of “thank you”s.
Another tradition besides the routine of Christmas morning, there is Christmas Eve night. The kids of the family get to open one present. There are some “rules” however. It has to be a relatively small gift that is approved by the person who is giving the gift. It isn’t a very big tradition, but I still look forward to it.
On one of the days leading up to the big day, my mom and I will spend the good part of a day/night watching holiday movies on a loop. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a must watch (it is my favorite, the Jim Carrey version that is) as well as It’s a Wonderful Life (my mom’s favorite). When Kyle joins us, he insists on Elf to be next. Yet again, another event I look forward to and one I will continue with my family someday.
This sounds corny and I truly don’t mean to be like this, but I really want happiness for everyone. I feel as though anger, fear, and sadness are the causes of some of our worst problems in America. If everyone put aside their worries and problems for even just one day during the holidays this year, I’d be overjoyed. My family does it and that contributes to the reason why I look forward to Christmas every year.
When you think of the holidays you think of amazing food, and being with your family, that's probably why everyone loves them. The holidays make you and your family come together and talk about what’s going on in each others life's, share a few laughs, and love each other. It is pretty rare for me to see my family everyday or every other day because my moms side lives up in Morristown and my dads live in Mullica. We all work and are pretty busy throughout the year making the holidays that special time we all get together to spend time with each other. Just last weekend I was baking with my cousins and I feel like I haven’t seen them since last Christmas. It felt so good to catch up with them and laugh at corny jokes, and just to be with them. This has been a tradition for 3 years now and I love it because sometimes I forget how much I really bond with them.
ReplyDeleteAfter Christmas I go up to my grandma and grandpas from my moms side. They celebrate Hanukkah, but it’s already over when we get up there so we don’t celebrate it. Even though we don’t, I still get to spend time with them and have lots of laughs. When I grow up and have a family I imagine it being a big one. I like the closeness of families. I want to have 2 children so their children can have an aunt or uncle because it sucks being the only child like me. Then our family can grow and be big and happy! I always think about whether to keep the Hanukkah tradition going or to just celebrate Christmas. When I celebrate Hanukkah with my mom, it isn’t as religious, we just light the menorah and give a present, and that’s not really celebrating it. I’ll just cross that bridge when I get to it and see where life takes me, who knows I might marry a Jewish man HA!
This season I wish to simply be happy. Currently I’m not in the best mood and I hate it, but I can’t help it. I just want to be with my family so I can forget about what is happening right now. I am blessed to spend another year with my best friends and some new ones.
Christmas to me is a celebration, which includes spending time with my family, decorating the entire house, inside and out, and shopping, for the people I love. Doing this with the people I love is what means the most to me. Spending Christmas with my family is very important to me. We usually gather and celebrate at my cousin’s house, in EHT. Sometimes, my mom, dad, and myself take the stretch and go all the way to Jersey City to visit my aunt from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. We spend the day baking cookies, making fudge and preparing a big Christmas dinner. As me and my cousins are in the same age range, we’re always together and doing everything during the Christmas holiday. We are all so close and this is my favorite time to spend with all of them because we always, without a doubt, have a good ass time. Decorating for Christmas is so much fun too. My dad always strings the lights around our house and while my mom and I help him with the decorations on the front lawn; while listening to “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey on repeat. Every year, my parents add a little more to the outside and inside decorations. My mom and myself decorate the inside of the house and make it look the most festive and it always makes me so happy and excited for the season. My mom has so many indoor decorations that they can not all possibly be displayed.
ReplyDeleteWe try to change the decorations, which we put out every year. The three of us usually get done at the same time so we are all able to decorate the tree together. Although I’ve never had a real tree before but ours is usually 6 feet, this year being the biggest one at around 8 feet tall. Most of the ornaments have been collected over the years and are very old. They have become real family treasures. We all have the special one that we each put on the tree. I am not usually a shopper for others because it always stresses me out to the max, but during the Christmas season, I actually enjoy shopping. The stores are all so cute and festive and I literally cannot describe to you how happy it makes me no matter how bad of a mood I’m in; and because of that I can easily get carried away and it will only takes 2 seconds until I spend all of my money. I will never go through any holiday without feeling absolutely grateful and fortunate, to have my family throughout the years, but especially, at Christmas time. This gives me the opportunity to show my family just how much I love them and how much they mean to me. That is so so so so important to me. Christmas, for me is about being with family, exchanging laughs and showing each other just exactly how we all feel.
People look forward to the holiday seasons especially the one in December because, come on now it’s CHRISTMAS!! It’s the time where almost everyone is happy glistening with joy from kids to grandpas, almost everyone is spreading joy, laughing, or just having a good time. From the kids opening their christmas day present or the parents watching their kids opening the presents that they got for them and seeing their happy smiling faces come on now this is great time. This moment and the moment’s leading up to it and after, give people such a good feeling and warmth. It really brings the family closer because everyone is happy and not worrying about pretty much nothing and most of the time setting there hopes high and wishing for good things as it leads to the new year.
ReplyDeleteBut for the other side of the situation it can seem to be the worst day to remember, especially as everyone is prancing around filled with joy and your just like a stormy cloud coming out of nowhere in the middle of a bright and shiny day just coming to ruin everything messing up someone's day.
Yeah sometimes if I am feeling it, Christmas does bring the best out of me, and the reason why is because I like seeing everyone from family to friend’s being happy and having positive vibes celebrate the holiday and having fun, wouldn’t you ? And plus not a lot of people have school or work so that is a HUGE factor.
The special traditions that we partake in as family for New Years is usually going to my parent’s friend’s New Years party and just hang with my friends until we count down the clock entering the new year with them.The favorite part of my holiday is receiving my present’s and also watching others open my presents and just seeing their eyes light up with glee really makes me feel happy.
What I wish for the season is just simply for good things to happen to people who deserve and earned it.
It used to be setting up the christmas tree with my sister, watching the Polar Express with my grandparents that night, then for the next two weeks; endless christmas movies, endless decorating, and endless cookies. It was Christmas morning and we would wake 4am, open presents, and everyone would come over to have a huge family breakfast. It was the better times. This year we’ll wake up when ever just to open presents, no big breakfast, no big family, and no grandmom. Over the years holidays change, it’s like when you’re a kid they’re all you have to look forward to, then you stop believing in santa, christmas isn’t the same, and then you lose spirit.
ReplyDeleteDon’t get me wrong, Christmas is one of my favorite holidays but it’s just changed so much. I don’t hate “the holidays” but honestly my favorite part is the time off school and seeing my family. When I was little my stepdad used to dress up as Santa and deliver us presents every year, and my grandmom would deliver such joy to all her grandkids, I didn’t realize how those two played such a big part in my Christmas until they were gone. Last year my grandfather told me, “we have to go all out this year for it might be the last year with mommom”, and i regret not doing everything i could to go all out. This year, she’s gone, and id take it back if i could.
From the time I was a little girl, I’d spend new years on the couch with my grandfather then at midnight we would rush outside with pots and pans and watch the fireworks across the river. There’s honestly no other way i’d rather spend my new years, everyone drinks and everyone wants to party and i’ve done that the past two years but this year i’ll be sitting on the couch with my grandfather surrounded by the ones i truly love, because i will not take him for granted as i did my grandmother.
With the upcoming year I wish for happiness, to be happier than I was in 2017, as i frequently say, “ive cried more in 2017 than i have in my whole life” and i believe that full heartedly. Looking back this year I fell in and out of love, Ive been hurt and walked all over, I lost one of the best things I had in life, lets just say 2017 was a ‘lost’ year. And Im not religious in any way but I hope and I pray that 2018 will be a new year, ill experience new things, and maybe ill be happier than i was this year.
my blog is extremely sad and the holidays are supposed to be holly and jolly, so i’m sincerely apologizing for this depressing story. I just wish the holidays had more of an optimistic meaning.
The holiday season is mainly about giving and being thankful for who and what you have, which in turn puts a lot of people in a much better mood than at other times of the year. Other people get happy towards the holidays because they know they’re going to get a bunch of presents, or are just going to be around family that they don’t usually get to see. Christmas used to be my favorite holiday and every year I would always be the one listening to Christmas music in the beginning of November because it gave me such a euphoric feeling. On Christmas Day 2015 at almost exactly 12:00 a.m. my mom came in my room and told me to get my stuff together because we were leaving. Her and my dad got into a fight and my mom, older sister, and I went to my grandmoms house and stayed there until almost March. This made Christmas Day very, very awkward. The next year I still had hope for Christmas until my older sister walked into my room early Christmas Day at around 12:00 a.m. and informed me that my great grandmom had a heart attack and was in the hospital. When I woke up to go to my grandmoms, we waited until everyone got there, opened presents, and went to the hospital. Maybe it would have felt different to me if I hadn’t watched my other great grandmom, also my best friend for about two years, thrown in and out of a hospital for a year and a half and ultimately dying so drugged up she couldn’t even tell who I was. Maybe then it would’ve been different to see a woman who had such a huge influence in my life lay in a hospital bed with a mask forcing oxygen into her lungs and bruises spread across her face from when she collapsed, maybe then. Luckily, after months in the CICU, she pulled out alive yet not quite who she used to be. Christmas hasn’t been the same to me since I was 14 and I don’t think it’ll ever be that way again because those hellacious memories will forever be tied to it. Although Christmas hasn’t been the best for me in the past, every year on Christmas Eve my mom buys us new pajamas and socks to wear that night which has become our family tradition that I plan on passing on to my children, should I have any. This year I wish for a peaceful Christmas and a truly happy new year.
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ReplyDeleteChristmas is my favorite time of the year from singing christmas songs to decorating the house, baking cookies and watching hundreds of Christmas movies it's a magical time. It's where people for the most part put their differences aside and celebrate by giving back to others. Personally I was raised Roman Catholic( I got confirmed and everything) though i'm not very religious about the only time I go to church is for Christmas and Easter. With that being said I still LOVE Christmas. My favorite part is decorating my room which seems very silly but my room is my sanctuary somewhere I feel the most safe and somewhere I love to spend time when i'm not out and about. Though my favorite family tradition is watching a christmas movie on christmas eve which happens to usually be the Polar Express what can I say its a fan favorite then after the movie is finished we put a santa hat on the top of our tree and go to bed. This time of year I also go and visit my family see my parents both grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania so that is where most of my family resides and its special when I go back there especially now that we don't get back there as much. One tradition I want to pass on to my children one day would be to put a santa hat on the top of the tree I don't know why my family does but I think it unique and special. This year my New Year's wish is happiness and health for all my friends and family.
Holiday season used to be the best time of the year. I’m not sure if it’s just because I’m getting older or because I have to worry about getting gifts myself or because we just put the tree up this week but Christmas seems to have lost its luster. It simply doesn’t feel like Christmas, there’s no jolly-ness anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe main tradition in my house is wrapping the presents together on Christmas Eve. When I was younger, I wasn’t allowed to leave my room because all of my presents were secret and whenever I tired to wrap a gift I would rip all the paper up. Now, I help make sure we all get to bed before 4AM. My favorite part of the holiday is after all the presents are open and strewn around the living room. My dad starts to make dinner before he goes to work, we all mess around with our new gifts, and hang out until the rest of my family comes down. For New Year’s my mom forces me to have a dinner of black eyed peas, collard greens, and white rice. This is supposed to bring in luck, money, and health for the new year. I think I need to have more greens.
My wish would definitely be love. Just more love and understanding in the world. Especially in our nation, because we could definitely use it.
I think people like the holidays because it keeps them busy with new things. Although some thing my be traditions they only come once a year and it’s an opportunity to gather with family and friends. Holidays used to be special in my house and I would be super excited. Now I’m indifferent life is so cluttered with work. I don’t really have time to enjoy myself. My family used to have Christmas dinner in our condo and in the morning we’d open presents and then we’d go to a family friends house for breakfast and exchange more gifts and watch movies and my sister and I would play with out new toys. We don’t do that anymore. We don’t even eat dinner together or exchange gifts. On New Year’s we used to go on a great big scavenger hunt. My family and family friends would come down and we’d split into groups and we’d have a list of things to find or pictures/actions we had to record. The deadline was midnight and the winner always got some type of silly prize. I miss doing that. Last year we didn’t even watch the ball drop. I’d love to have these traditions back but honestly the holidays make me sad. A lot of my family is dead or estranged or hates my parents so they don’t come around anymore. Overall, I love the times that my family used to have I wish that my family was still a family. However, my favorite part of the holidays is getting to spend more time with my sister. She always knows how to make me smile whether it’s just looking at lights or Christmas shopping she always makes time melt away and puts me at ease. Just like every other year all I want is happiness. Maybe a kitten. Mostly happiness.
ReplyDeleteI always look forward to Christmas, it is by far my favorite holiday because it combines thanksgiving and my birthday basically. I think most people usually look forward to the holiday season because it is a time for family. It brings people together and is a time of giving and loving. I know personally my family feels so much closer around the holidays because we have so much to do together such as decorating the tree baking cookies and trying to buy each other gifts. I especially look forward to to holiday season because I can give back to everyone that gives to me and I feel like that just makes everyone so happy and spreads joy. My family always says our prayers/grace before our holiday meals because the reason we celebrate is because of our belief in Christ. On Christmas eve my family and I always go to my abuelo and abuelas house for dinner and a gift exchange. Then my family and I every year but new pajamas to wear christmas eve night then we all stay in them all day Christmas and unwrap gifts cook breakfast together and watch movies. All honesty on New Year’s I get drunk with my friends and it has been that way the past few years however when I have kids I would like to have little parties for my friends and their friends to all come over. My favorite part of my holiday is spending time with friends and family enjoying all the things the season has to offer. This season I wish for a healthier life; less stress, more active, ect. I just want my family yo stay healthy and am praying for a miracle because last year I lost my third uncle and right now my abuelo is not looking the best and I really want him to feel better.
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