The holiday season, specifically Christmas, has become so evolved over the years, and to be honest, many people have lost sight of what matters most. Almost a continuation of Thanksgiving, the holidays are a time to give back and spend time with those that are important within your life. Rather than solely the glamour of receiving presents, it is a time to make others happy and give thanks that they exist in your life. It is the final hurrah of the year before setting new goals, and wiping the slate clean.
But with that said, there are great Christmas traditions that I love so very much and enjoy with my friends.
1. Secret Santa: Who doesn’t love Secret Santa? Well to be honest, it is a bit stressful and unknown, but very very fun once it starts rolling. It is essentially a random draw of names and series of anonymous gifts (cards, baked goods, gifts, etc) and a final reveal. For many, this can be stressful if you are not very familiar with the person and their interests, or if you don’t have time to make or buy a gift. However, as a personal story, here it goes:
As a timid fourth grader, I picked my name out of a hat, peeping at the name on the slip of paper. I was very shy and not friendly with many of my classmates, despite it already being December. I don’t really remember much about who I was a Secret Santa for, but I remember so vividly my Secret Santa. Our teacher had assigned a schedule for gifts, with each day with a varying category of gift (homemade, food, candy, store-bought, etc.). I had suspected this one peer in my class, but was unsure; he had given me gifts that represented me so well, but he was definitely not my friend. We had maybe spoken once! Anyways, flash forward to the end of the week and the Secret Santa reveal, it turns out my suspicions were right and he would be one of my best friends to this day (7 years later), all due to a fourth grade class required Secret Santa gift exchange.
2. (Girls Night) Holiday Party: This ties into Secret Santa in the sense that my friends and I do our Secret Santa reveal at our holiday party each year. This party could be designed and structured in any manner that pleases you. But my all time favorite is like a potluck dinner and dressing up all fancy in skirts, sweaters and dresses. But the all time greatest traditions between my friends is the rule that we cannot have our phones all night. We must interact by talking and enjoying one another’s company. For me, this holiday party allows for a bonding time to forget about school stress, pig out, watch movies, decorate cookies, and pamper yourself and relax in the spirit of the holidays.
3. And lastly, Christmas morning presents: Although this tradition changes for my family on a yearly basis, mostly due to the schedule of winter break and potential vacations, we always gather on the morning of Christmas, whether we are at an amusement park, on a boat, or simply at home. It is beyond precious to witness the joy and appreciation of another person ripping the paper covering thought you have poured into a tangible object, all for the purpose of showing intangible emotion and thought.
Beyond thankful and appreciative for all of you! Here is an early Christmas virtual hug . Make sure to comment down below your favorite Christmas traditions and follow this blog for more “Tis the Season” posts . I will be posting everyday leading up to Christmas (hopefully I will have Wi-Fi on the boat).
Party in the Pond 