Every year since 2010 I’ve done a series of December diaries focusing on a variety of seasonal topics ranging from music to food to ugly sweaters. (Full disclosure: I did ONE Seasonal diary in 2008, and 2009 was the first December K2 was with us so I was a little distracted :-)). You can find them all, tagged with #seasonal, and yes I have a spreadsheet so I know what topics I’ve done recently!
It’s time to do it again here in We’re Pretending Everything Is Normal But We Really Know It’s A Hot Viral Mess Out There 2022! Don’t worry if Christmas isn’t your thing- while my personal December perspective is primarily secular but culturally Christian-based with a vibrant dose of earth-centered Winter Solstice mixed in with Unitarian Universalism, these diaries are NOT meant to be siege locations in the War On Christmas. In other words, if there’s a holiday in December that makes you happy, that you mark differently than all the other days, or that involves negotiating who brings what food and whether or not everyone did their rapid-antigen test… or even if there isn’t... this is a place for you and I really hope you’ll bring yourself to the comments!
I have to be honest… both Mr. Brillig and K1 were adamant I needed to lead off this year’s Seasonal Diaries with one devoted to the LDB Challenge and Whamageddon. Alas I covered that in 2021, but over coffee with a friend this morning realized I had a topic percolating in my thoughts and so to kick off Seasonal 2022 I want to talk about Holiday Traditions!
Way back in 2012 I wrote about the beloved traditions of my childhood and early adulthood, as well as those we’ve developed here at Casa Brillig. Of course, I did revisit the concept of traditions in 2020 because almost nothing was possible and I envision a December Lifetime/Hallmark movie someday where 2020 Pandemic is the plot device and not a thing we try to ignore. But two years later, things are both oddly familiar and brand new different and so let me share a bit of what makes our holiday “ours”, and what is changing because the only constant in life is change.
First, the evergreen traditions:
1. Holiday Music will be played at home and in cars from noon Thanksgiving (when Santa arrives at the Macy’s Parade) until bedtime on New Year’s Day. I don’t make this rule, but I do follow it and expect everyone else either to do so, or keep quiet.
2. Everyone in Casa Brillig will get new pajamas gifted on Christmas Eve, unless they’ve explicitly stated they do NOT want more pajamas this year (and I, knowing the state of their pajamas, agree). I’m looking at you, Mr. Brillig.
3. We, or at least a subset of us, will attend three services at our UU church: December Music, No-Rehearsal Nativity Retelling, and Christmas Eve.
4. During Christmas Eve day we’ll all casually scatter to our rooms with paper, scissors and tape to wrap presents. Co-wrapping so you’re not alone is also allowed. We’d all love to pretend different but there’s just no way we’ll have ourselves organized enough to wrap in advance.
What will change this year:
1. For at least fifteen years (excepting 2020 of course, and 2018 when we were in Mexico), we’ve had Christmas Eve fondue dinner and present exchange with our closest friends. This year though, my friend has to work on Christmas Eve (she’s a religious professional at a congregation 60 miles away) and won’t be home until very, very late. Our plan is to hold off on melty cheese until the following week, but it means we have NO idea what we’re having for dinner on December 24th for the first time in two decades.
2. We have to rethink our usual 7 foot Christmas Tree, because 100lb puppy enthusiastic about everything and tree laden with fragile ornaments seem like mutually exclusive things. We’re considering a much smaller tree on a table with a limited set of non-irreplaceable/breakable ornaments.
3. We will NOT be leaving presents out Christmas Eve unless access to the living room is restricted. See: 100lb puppy who spent three days in the veterinary hospital because he eats everything.
4. K1 won’t be at the house for the entire winter break, because they’ll be at home… four miles away, in the lovely apartment shared with the bff. It’s dusty in here and I’m chopping onions. Really.
So, what’s traditional for you and what’s up for change this year? I’d love to hear in the comments, after a perusal of tonight’s Tops!
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I do not like this new tradition of no noms on Mondays. Please let’s change this one.
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