parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting

So I'd feel silly if I didn't post a blog at some point about my Decemberian excitement for the upcoming Holidays. With the exception of Kwanza, which is not a holiday, I've always had affection for the end-of year celebrations. And yes, I know that I'm not Jewish, but that includes Hannukah to an extent as well. What's better than Cindy Greenstein bringing over her leftover latkas, or getting to go over to a friend's house for a fancy, fun dinner? (I always loved the Jewish tradition of eating things to remember miracles. In Christianity, people don't eat things to remember miracles). Do you realize how much of a shocker it was for me when I learned that today, December 12, was the last night of Hannukah? I missed it! I never even knew it had started! Do you see what living away from South Florida has done to me?

But yes, Christmas. Christmas is good. As an American, to me Christmas is primarily rooted in decorating everything in sight with sparkly red, gold, green, and silver; repeating the same seven motifs over and over (Santa, Present, Tree, Deer, Bell, Snowman, Candy Cane). Preferably these decorations belong on the lamp-posts of your local mall parking lot, on the back wall of an office, or the front window of whatever drycleaning or coffee-shop establishment decides to show joy. And really, what would the holidays be without them? It's not Christmas unless I am reminded by it at every turn with the sight of shiny, gaudy, wonderful plastic and window paint.

This year Christmas will be spent with (hopefully) snow, my younger cousins, and my family. We're in a new house and a new town this year, so it's a whole new way of looking at Christmas...and, of course, at Christmas break. The overall feeling of the season is never lost, though. I'm excited for being home and warm and doted upon by dogs and cats and children and cocoa.

But then there's New Year's. Since I won't be going to any decadent parties this year (re: no friends in PDX), I'm starting to question what's so bloody great about it. Drinking? We could do that every day. Most of us do. Resolutions? As though you're going to keep them?

And they're always the ridiculous resolutions like "this year I'm going to put MYSELF first and not date any men who take advantage of me!" As though for all of 2007 you thought that was a good idea, and only a giant ball going down a pole in the middle of Manhattan can make you realize your faults. That, and the fact that most resolutions are just re-hashes of the ones you made last year, only proving that you probably won't live up to them this year. Also, there's no indication that a new year is really a clean slate; otherwise they might as well absolve me from any credit card payments I owe and stop my parents from getting angry about past offenses. Wait, that's a good idea.