friday favorites: holiday traditions

Happy holidays, everyone! I may not do another friday favorite for a while since Christmas and New Years Day both fall on Friday this year. I decided that I better not skip this week's entry then, even if it is a few days late. If someone would just start paying me to write these things (or write anything in general) then maybe I'd be able to better adhere to my self-imposed deadlines.

I love traditions. Common ones and my own personal traditions alike. Lots of traditions fall around holidays (I mean, really, what else is a holiday other than celebrating traditions?). So today I'd like to share some of my favorite time-honored activities not just from Christmas, but from holidays throughout the year.

Christmas eve with my family - Ever since I can remember, Christmas eve with the momma and grammy has always been the same. First we go out to eat Chinese food and then we drive around looking at Christmas lights on houses. Last year we couldn't because of the evil snow storm, but this year we will be back on track. Then when the momma and I get home, I get to open one Christmas present. The present is usually a new pair of jammies so I can meet Santa in style when he comes over. In my days of believing, I would leave carrots for the reindeer as well as milk and cookies for Santa and he always thanked me by leaving a little present on the empty cookie plate.

Birthday parties in the nativity scene - Four years ago, the momma got a very nice nativity scene to put on top of the TV in the front room. The porcelain figures are pretty traditional and common to all representations of the birth of Jesus. One year I decided that some of my toys wanted to pay their respects to the baby Jesus. The first time I did it is photographed below. As you can see, Darth Tater and Nunzilla joined the scene much to the chagrin of the momma. Happily, the momma has come around to seeing the joy in my borderline-sacrilegious act and this year has contributed My Little Pony to the scene. MLP is joined this year by none other than President Obama in bobblehead form and Santa on the roof of the manger. I think it is nice when people and toys can come together in a spirit of goodwill to pay homage to the baby Jesus.

The Nativity Scene - 2005

Shopping on the days after Christmas - my favorite way to buy Christmas decorations. Everything is on clearance! Then the next year when I pull out all of the festive fodder, I get the lovely surprise of new decorations.

Easter Bunny! - I have always had an Easter basket. Even when I lived away from home, the Bunny always managed to send my basket via the US Postal Service. I love the bunnies, chickies and lambies associated with this holiday, which is a good thing as my birthday usually is around this holiday and I grew up receiving many items with the aforementioned animals plastered on them.

The Thanksgiving Nap - This one is pretty self-explanatory.

Watching 24 hours of "A Christmas Story" - Thank you, TNT, for broadcasting my favorite Christmas movie from 6pm Christmas eve to 6pm Christmas night. You are always in the background of this holiday and my heart.

Going into downtown Portland before Christmas - I love the downtown area, but it is super-great in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I loved looking at the Meier & Frank holiday window displays, going to Pioneer Courthouse Square to look at the tree and then getting peppermint hot cocoa at Starbucks (which leads me to...)

jenna, Katy & Stephanie at Pioneer Courthouse Square - 2006

Chocolate-peppermint everything - My favorite combination since Lucy and Ethel. Why does it only come out around this time of year? Hot cocoa, mochas, ice cream, candy (especially M&Ms)... you can't go wrong when you add peppermint to chocolate, imho.

My "Christmas Lovin'" music compilations - Every three years starting in 2003, I have made a mixed CD of my favorite Christmas songs. I try to include newer songs mixed in with traditional favorites in versions people may not have heard before. I then give these as gifts to my friends and family. I started doing this when I didn't have much money for gifts, and I continue to not have money for gifts, so I am more than happy to make "Christmas Lovin'" a Christmas CD that people can look forward to (at least I look forward to their reactions to the music I pick).

So, what are some of your favorite holiday traditions? I hope that you get to enjoy some traditions with your family and friends this holiday season. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good blog!