Singing songs, baking cookies and pie, enjoying each others company. Although, this year, we all admitted to not really being in the holiday spirit. Not that we're all grumpy or anything. Just sorta... Collectively apathetic. Still, we're trying, and still enjoying each other, even if it's not particularly festive.
Although, thinking on it, I suppose we do have a couple of traditions that are different. Some with a story too.
The biggest one is actually all my fault. When I was about five or six, I was practically bounding with excitement for Christmas. There were so many presents under the tree that year! Big, tall boxes, full of goodies, surrounded by wrapped books and CD's (even back then, I was an avid PC gamer. LEGO and Humongous games were the best, man!) Well, and cloths of course. Never liked those. But the toys! I decided, I could not wait a whole eight more hours. I had been patient for over a month! (We don't play the Santa game, so I had to endure seeing those wrapped goodies since Black Friday.) No, I had to have one, now. I begged my mother. Begged and pleaded. "Just one, mom! Just one present!"
"No, not until the morning."
"But there's so many! Just one of them, mom! Please!"
Eventually, she relented. "Fine then. One present."
I was about filled to burst with joy! What would it be? A LEGO set? A castle? A robot dragon!? When she came back with the present, I descended upon the poor wrapping paper like it was my personal enemy. And, what was inside?
A vacuum.
A small, blue, portable vacuum.
My heart shattered.
"Why?"
My mother laughed. "So you can clean your room easier!"
"That don't count! Where's my real present!"
I want to quickly defend my character, and insist that this was a particularly greedy year. Usually, I'm happy with whatever I get. Were it Christmas day, I would have probably liked the vacuum. Not loved, but liked. But this was such a letdown, such a blow to my hopes and dreams!
Rather then chastising me, my mom thought of another idea. "Alright. But no more! This is all you get until morning."
She walked back to the tree and looked through the mound of colored paper. At that point, I would have taken just about anything. After the low that is a vacuum, there's only up, right? When she came back, she held a bulky bundle of paper in her hand. I carefully pealed the paper, cautiously optimistic.
Inside the second present, was a set of brand new, warm pajamas. While it wasn't disappointing, it wasn't exactly thrilling ether. "Thanks, mom," I said, unable to hide the lingering letdown from my voice.
Mom pushed the pajamas closer. "Now, while you sleep, you'll have a warm new pair of jammies. That way, you'll be nice and warm when you wake up! I want to see you wear them in the morning, OK? Now, go to bed. I'll see you in the morning.
Ever since then, we all get one present on Christmas eve. No, not a vacuum. A brand new par of pajamas and slippers, to wear on Christmas morning.
Let's see, what else do we have? Well, Mom's family used to drive around the city, singing Christmas songs, and looking at the decorations. Sadly, Anchorage has very few people who decorate their houses at all, much less elaborate decorations for neighborhood lights completions. So, that slowly died out, though we still try to find some houses.
I can't really think of anything else we do that most others don't. Still, thinking back on previous years has made me a little more into the spirit of things. This was a nice exercise. Thank you.
Anyway, merry Christmas to all, have a happy holidays, and a merry new year.