The Battle of the Holidays

The end of the year is arguably the best time of year. Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas (not to mention National Ammo Day on Nov. 19th) it's a time of traditions, food, candy, decorations, family, and fun. This year it seemed as though people decorated just as much for Halloween as most people do for Christmas. (That was my pumpkin I delightedly carved this year.)

Growing up the best Halloween tradition was making ghost suckers the home evening before Halloween. We’d cover our entire dining room table with shiny aluminum foil, melt down white chocolate, and blob it over Popsicle sticks. We used toothpicks and food coloring to put faces on and give the ghosts some character. Our “ghost suckers” were famous among the neighborhood kids and only the really special and close neighbors would get them (limited number, you see).

I kind of feel sorry for poor little Thanksgiving. It's so overlooked. Today on the radio they were discussing how early people should start with Christmas. I've noticed Christmas commercials peppering TV stations. The stores have taken down their demons and goblins and have already replaced them with angels and stockings. Two of the DJs were of the mind that Christmas music and decorations should be held at bay at least until Thanksgiving was over. The third argued that the Christmas season started November 1st.

Personally, I think starting two months early is overkill.

Thanksgiving was either spent in Mesa with my Grandparents and cousins or at home with a random assortment of hippies and family friends. Mom would always make a full spread. Among my favorite were her delicious wheat rolls and a load of pies. We’d often help peel and slice apples with the hand crank peeler. If we were at my grandparents, Grandpa inevitably cracked a slew of delicious pecans while watching the traditional Football bowls. It is a good holiday, even if it doesn't get the hype and decoration of Halloween and Christmas.

Christmas pretty much started the day after Thanksgiving when we’d drive to the forest in Heber and cut down our Christmas tree (or Christmas bush as Bryan liked to call them--it's hard to judge how big it really is in a wide open forest). We’d try and measure them by Dad lifting up his arm. If it was close to that length it would fit in our living room. That weekend we’d string popcorn and cranberries (10:1 ratio) for the tree and put up the lights and decorations like mom’s hand painted nativity, homemade advent calendar, and Chris-moose (also made at enrichment—or homemaking as it was called then.) She also made all of our stockings that hung on our fireplace.

The Monday before Christmas we turned on “The best Christmas pageant ever” and made graham cracker houses. That was great fun because we had a lot of candy to snack on (one for the house, one for me). I especially loved using the red cinnamon bears as Santa. Dad often made an out house or a Navajo trading post for his.

Matt and I differ on Christmas season timing. I think it's perfectly wonderful to start the Christmas season the day after Thanksgiving and last until the New Year. He thinks it should start about 3 days before Christmas and last until the New Year. He's a bit grinch-ish about it I'd say...

And you? When do you think it's ok to begin the Christmas festivities??