Holiday Fun

[T'Bonz]

Some big holidays in the US are coming up (and some are celebrated around the world as well). What are your favorite things to do for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah or any holiday you celebrate from Thanksgiving through New Years?

I like to look at lights. A big part of my holiday enjoyment is seeing how people decorate with lights outside. Usually a few times in December I'll drive around at night just to look around and see what's out there.

Food is also a big part of the holiday (which blows when you're watching your weight. ) I make the same cookies which my mother made and have taught my girls how to make them too. If I'm inclined, I'll make chocolate rum balls.

I like to go to a candlelight religious service on Christmas Eve, because it settles me. The run up to Christmas is nuts and when I'm sitting in church, I feel the peace, and I love Christmas songs and the candlelight ceremony is just awesome.

Lots more, but that's enough. What do you like to do during holidays you celebrate?

 

[Deranged Nasat]

I like going for walks, just taking in the lights and other decorations, feeling part of the general festive atmosphere. It relaxes me. I don't need to participate in anything as such, I just feel comforted by the cheer around me.

 

[Naira]

Like you, I like the lights the most. I enjoy staring at the lights on the Christmas tree and the streets. I don't care much for Santas, deer and other decorations.

I also enjoy listening to carols, especially the traditional ones of my homecountry.

 

[Skywalker]

I love Christmas lights, too, even though they're a pain in the ass to put up.

There's someone here in town who puts up an absolutely gorgeous set of lights around his house and has them synchronized to flash on and off, change colors, etc., all while he has Christmas music broadcasting short-range so people can pick it up on their radios. There's a small parking lot right across the street from his house, so a lot of people will park their cars, listen to the music, and enjoy the show.

 

[bbailey861]

Like you, I like the lights the most. I enjoy staring at the lights on the Christmas tree and the streets. I don't care much for Santas, deer and other decorations.

I also enjoy listening to carols, especially the traditional ones of my homecountry.

This is a big one in our house, too. A well lit tree, some spruce 'smellies' for aroma therapy, listening to carols, and having a glass of wine. Wonderful, peaceful, joyful.

 

[teya]

My favorite thing--which I don't get to do in LA--is strapping on the snowshoes & taking a walk in the woods & fields to collect branches & berries & such for decorations.

5 years & I'll be back in snowshoe country.

 

[SmoothieX]

^I'm an avid hiker in the summer time, which translates to snowshoeing in the winter, which is a lot harder work.

I got a new pair last Xmas, but we never got any snow by me, so they're still brand new.

My Thanksgiving plans involve going to see the Patriots play at the Jets.

 

[Warp Coil]

I like hanging out with my friends (my family? not so much....). On Thanksgiving I spend most of the afternoon at a close friend's house, celebrating with her and her family, who are way cooler than mine. We eat, get a little drunk and just have a good time. Then, around 5 or 6pm, I have to be sober enough to drive five minutes to my Grandma's house and have dinner with them. I spend the absolute minimum time required, then quietly excuse myself.

A group of friends always gets together around Christmas to celebrate. Food, drink and probably board games. A good time is had by all.

 

[Gryffindorian]

My family will be having the traditional Thanksgiving dinner at our house. It's a mostly quiet day spent stuffing our faces with food and watching a DVD movie or two. The number of relatives has dwindled over the years since some family members got into a fight, and celebrations were never the same after that. I kinda miss the karaoke singing we did. Also, one of my sisters recently got divorced and moved out of her house, and she and ex-hubby take turns having their two sons over.

I have no travel plans, and I try to avoid the malls during this time. As much as I like Thanksgiving, I hate being reminded of my upcoming holiday expenses that would put a mini-black hole in my pocket. I will probably go to the movies sometime during the four-day weekend.

 

[RoJoHen]

Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday of the year for a few reasons.

For one, I get to go home and see my family. I'm the only one in my family that actually moved somewhat far away, and because of my work schedule, I very fairly get to go home and visit. As such, I have been forced to create my own little traditions for Thanksgiving.

1) Blackout Wednesday. I don't actually get crazy drunk or anything, but I do make a point to go downtown and visit the bars the night before Thanksgiving. It's like a mini high school reunion every time I go. I get to see people that I probably haven't seen since the previous Thanksgiving, and it's always a really good time.

2) Black Friday Brunch. My friends and I have no interest in shopping on Black Friday. Instead, we get up early and go out for brunch at a local diner (which isn't very good, but the nostalgia is delicious). We usually end up sitting at our table for hours and hours. By the time we leave, it's almost time for dinner.

 

[RevdKathy]

I work through the holidays. Usually my sister comes for a meal on Christmas afternoon, but she's moved away now, so I shall probably work the entire day. I hope to take Boxing day off to spend with my Aunt and Uncle, but that's about it. Hoping to do something a bit more interesting for New Year.

 

[ladyheather69]

This year Thanksgiving will be at my mom's house consisiting of my family of 4, my brother, and my inlaws...always a treat(heavy sarcasm). I just got a job in retail so will be working the midnight to 6am shift on Black Friday, so no real holiday time off. The best part will be my daughter is coming home from college for Thanksgiving!! Woo Hoo. Don't have any traditions other than eating and watching football and making sure that we watch Christmas Vacation before the weekend is over

Christmas is always my favorite time of year, although the last few years has been stressful with dwindling finances, job loss, etc. However, although the finances and such haven't changed much, I have made the decision that 'stuff' isn't as important as being with family. And I have also decided to make a bunch of gifts this year so I am looking forward to that

I love looking at Christmas lights, but my hubs not so much, so sometimes I will drive the long way home from somewhere just to take in a few.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I used to go to the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas concert every year. I haven't gone in the last couple of years but I think I might go again this time.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E359DJ5eins[/yt]

 

[Aurian]

Holidays for me has a lot to do with food and family.. I start baking early on in december and just revelling in what makes other people go ooh and aahh.. I dont eat much of it at all (although I am currently looking for lowcarb recepies for myself). And I love decorating the house for christmas.
For christmas eve my girlfriends usually meet up for breakfast (next year will make it the 20th celebration) followed by the traditional christmas with the rest of my family. But this year we have chosen to go to Angry Angels family in Holland for the christmas week. Will be different but lovely in so many ways .

 

[slackbladder]

the holidays are depressing.

 

[teya]

Just lugged home 20 lbs of cranberries & 30 lbs of mandarins & now I'll be canning the cranberry sauce for the holidays.

I can eat this stuff for breakfast, lunch & dinner. And dessert ('tis really good with rice pudding...)

 

[Mary Ann]

No Thanksgiving here, of course, so my focus is on Christmas. My family lives in Canada and the Netherlands, so I never see them over the Christmas holidays. My husband's family doesn't live too far away, but I put my foot down just before our oldest child's first Christmas and told my husband we would not be spending Christmas day with his family. I'd rather spend the day tweezing my nose hairs (I didn't say that out loud, but he got the idea). So Christmas Day is our family of five, and we love it. We enjoy a good meal and if the weather is good we go for walks along the river or on Dartmoor.

I work in retail, but the shop where I work will be closed on Boxing Day, which is awesome.

One thing I really miss from Canadian Christmases is the outdoor lights on almost every house in the neighbourhood. Outdoor lights are catching on in the UK, but they're small fry compared to the North American tradition.

 

[RoJoHen]

the holidays are depressing.

Only if you let them be.

 

[JiNX-01]

There is a guy who lives in my county who does an incredible job of decorating for Christmas. His sun porch is decorated like Santa's Workshop. There are inflated decorations (including Snoopy and his dog house a la A Charlie Brown Christmas).

He dresses as Santa and his dogs wear Santa hats (they're really good sports about it, too). Anybody who comes by gets a candy cane (even us adults who never outgrew believing in Santa).

It takes at least an hour to take in the full experience.
And it's so worth it!

 

[T'Bonz]

This year, for the first time in almost 30 years, we won't be hosting the Christmas festivities. We'll be the travelers.

It will be weird - but on the other hand, for ONCE, I'm GUARANTEED a cold Christmas. Hell, we might even get snow. Cold is good enough though; I'm not greedy.