Day 336: Now I can start...

It's December 1st so now I can officially get into the whole Christmas thing.  Yeah I cheated a bit listening to the All-Christmas radio station and I did manage to watch the "Charlie Brown Christmas" TV show the other night.  But today, out will come the decorations and what not.  I won't be quite the Clark Griswold but I'll have enough outdoor decorations to be somewhat respectable.  Hats off to a couple of my neighbors, though, because they really put on an amazing Christmas show in their front yards.

I guess Christmas is kind of a big deal for me.  Not so much for the chaos and angst over gift buying but more so because it brings out the child in me.  As a kid it was sensory overload with all the anticipation of excitement of Christmas as well as the mountain of gifts under the Christmas tree.  But besides the presents, I loved all the traditions.  We had so many wonderful traditions growing up - clam chowder on Christmas eve, the candied Advent calendars, making Christmas ornaments, visiting relatives (at least when we lived near by).  As I became an adult and a father it was fun to create new traditions and to see Christmas through the eyes of my daughters.  Of course as kids we were all about the gifts but as we get older it becomes more about the celebration and being with family and friends.  I have so many wonderful memories of Christmas - My first See's Candy butterscotch sucker while Christmas shopping with my grandmother.  Walking around the Christkindlmart in Munich.  There was the "tree on a swivel" Christmas.  Making Aebleskivers and drinking mimosas with my girls. And how can I forget that one Christmas in Hawaii when I was coaxed by my sisters to wake our parents up at 4:00 in the morning so we could open presents.  I can still hear them say, "Go back to BEEEEEEEEED!!!!"  Ahhh, good times.

I know this time of year can also be a little difficult.  We could be experiencing some family issues or perhaps this is the first year where a loved one is not with us.  But I think that's where traditions can help us keep the joy of Christmas in our hearts.  It's really not about the gifts. I have so few memories of any gifts I received but I have tons of memories of the joyful moments I shared with family and friends.  So off to breakfast to carbo load for the upcoming venture into the catacombs of my crawl space to dig out all the Christmas decorations.  I'll put on some Bing Crosby, set up my little nativity scene and hang my little skier ornaments and maybe watch a Christmas movie or two. Ahhhh, tradition!