What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas, by far.  This is the holiday that stirs the most emotion in me.  Sometimes I have to fight my way past December anxiety to reclaim the spirit, but when I touch down it warms me to the core.

What types of food is associated with your holiday?

A meal with family and friends, cookies, and (from what I’ve been told) fruitcake.  My mom made turkey, great grandma’s stuffing, and mashed potatoes with gravy every year, and her Christmas cookie production was ridiculous (ridiculously DELICIOUS, that is).  We made sugar cookies, but there were family recipes that we made each Christmas that I looked forward to all year.

Do you travel for your holiday?

We’re very lucky that our families have traditions that make it possible for us to be home.  My family typically chooses a weekend in December so my brother’s family can join us, and BrightSide’s family plans their gatherings close to Christmas Eve so we end up having three get togethers in all.  It makes for a busy December, but we’re blessed that we don’t have to choose which ones we’ll get to see each year.

Is it a religious or spiritual holiday?

Christmas celebrates the birth of the baby Jesus.  There’s debate every year about how commercialized it’s become, and it’s true that stores begin marketing earlier and earlier each year to gain an edge in sales.  In the end, though, this rests with each family.  Our family recognizes it as a spiritual holiday, but there are those who are either non-Christian, agnostic, or atheist who celebrate it as a secular holiday.

Is there a gift exchange?

We exchange gifts in our family, although the tradition varies from group to group.  With extended family we’ve grown to a point where only the cousins pull a name for the gift exchange, but otherwise we enjoy buying gifts for each other.

How long does the celebration last?

This is a tricky one.  Considering the fact that we have three separate family gatherings and then Christmas day sometimes the celebration literally lasts three full weeks.  Each particular gathering usually lasts a while, too, since we’re having such a good time.  Terrific food, yummy treats, and presents to open?  What’s not to love?

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

Frankly?  That I managed to get from point A to point B without losing my mind.  Between preparations for my family’s Christmas gathering and the dozen events crammed into the last week of school, it’s was a little questionable there for a bit.  But in the end the events were attended, the teacher gifts got to school, the cupcakes made it to the class party, the kids played their basketball games, and we still managed to cook sides for the family dinner and (finally) put up the tree.

This week I’m trying to fit in some down time before Christmas kicks into full gear on Friday.

ShareYourWorld

Cee’s Share Your World is a weekly feature – all are welcome to play along.

What’s going on in your world?