The Holidays
I love Autumn.
September 1 starts my favorite time of year (I know that’s not the first day officialy, but indulge me). Temperatures are cooler, leaves are changing, fireplaces are burning, and the most rewarding holidays of the year are back to back.
September
Football! (Or at least high school football. Georiga Tech sucks pretty bad…) I have fond memories of freezing my ovaries off while cheering my team(s) to victory (my high school won the triple crown my senior year). Marching Band was especially fun. As a member of the color guard (not the weak flag waving people but the “bad-a” flag throwing, riffle spinning kind of guard) I enjoyed the long bus rides and performing in front of hundreds of people as the token black girl of Mississippi private schools. It was like I was the side show, let me tell you…lol
October
Halloween! FREE CANDY!
Okay well I’m not a big candy eater contrary to popular belief, but the act of trick or treating was an institution in my family. Forget those traditional pumpkins to carry around candy in, we were packin’ PILLOWCASES!
November
November is my favorite month of the year. It’s the token month of autumn and the most romantic one to me. I want to have my wedding on November 22. Curiously, I didn’t know it until just a second ago, but November 22, 2008 is a very convenient Saturday… (even though I don’t believe in psychics, one said I’d be married sometime in 2008 so that’s where I got that year from…)
Thanksgiving…
FREE FOOD!
Or at least free food from loved ones. “Father’s” side of the family has some legendary cooks. In between that Thursday and Bayou Classic time, everyone gains at least 10 pounds.
(Oh and for the interested, Bayou Classic is back in ‘Nawlins this year.
December
Christmas….
Christmas is my favorite holiday. I LOVE Christmas carols, movies, decorating, making cookies cakes and popcorn balls, HOLIDAY KOOLAID (a secret family recipe) seeing everyone get into the spirit…it’s not the same without snow though.
Every year since I can remember, it’s always been tradition to watch the Christmas shows that come on TV. One year, I guess there was a sale because my mother bought about 20 tapes and gave them to us for Christmas presents. We were like, “thaaaanks.” (I mean who watches tapes when it’s not Christmas?!?! Well…at least AFTER Christmas…)
After that, I always made it a point to watch one tape a week leading up to Christmas (yes I realize that’s about 5 months worth of celebrations but I double up on some weeks so it’s maybe 2.5) with the last three tapes being The Santa Clause (with Tim Allen), Home Alone (The first one), and A Christmas Story (with Ralphie and the gang). The classics like Miracle on 34’th street are viewed on Thanksgiving as it comes on that day every year on NBC or something. But yeah. I still have that tradition now. The tapes come back to school with me when I go home for Labor Day.
New Year’s Day
Pffff. I don’t really have emotions about New Year’s Eve. Once again, the tradition is for the immediate family to be together so parties with peers are illegal. Usually it’s just everybody does their own thing until 11:55, we gather to watch Dick Clark countdown, at midnight we clink glasses of Welch’s Sparkling Red Grape Juice, then we all disperse and go back to what we were doing.
Nothing spectacular.
Anyway, gotta get through one more month, but then it’ll be the most wonderful time of the year…
