In my family, the holidays have always been a time to come together. Since I was a child Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, because my family - immediate, extended and related-by-marriage alike - would all go camping together. For me and my relatives the holidays are about family traditions. Things like my dad and my uncle always grilling our turkey and everyone else bringing entrees for our Thanksgiving potluck. Since we are always away, Black Friday is not something I have ever done and I fairly certain I'm not missing out on anything. Waking up early and standing in the cold, only to be almost crushed when a mob of crazed shoppers storms the store? No thank you.
After Thanksgiving, my household turns into Santa's workshop. My sister and I creating handcrafted gifts for family and friends, while my father works on my mother's present, which is usually fixing or remodeling something in the house. When my grandmother was still alive, she, my mother, my sister, my aunt and I would all gather at her house and have a huge baking-fest. Shortbread, gingerbread, snicker doodles, sugar cookies, we tried everything. Now that she is gone we bake cookies in her memory. In my family I have never found the holidays to be materialistic or gift-oriented, we have always used it as a time to bring our family together.
When I read the two essay's on holiday materialism by Amel Saleh and Lauren Smith, I found myself agreeing and disagreeing with parts of each author's ideas. While Smith had a wonderfully idealized situation playing out in her essay, I was not impressed by her "always give and receive" attitude. On the other hand, I liked Saleh's frankness but I don't have a lot of personal experience with the situations she was suggesting. I suppose if I had to chose one that I like better, I would say Saleh. Because, despite my lack of personal experience with those issues, I could see how they could easily become a problem. Part of my mourns for the dismal turn the holiday season has taken, and I am so thankful for my families wonderful holiday traditions.
You are a prime example of what we should be doing! Christmas, mind everyone, is usually about gift giving, but you doing it by friendly gesture and with your family! I'd of never thought that the gifts people do would be so artificial!
ReplyDeleteI love that your family's priority is creating and fixing something for the family. I think most family's are preoccupied with purchasing gifts and making sure their gift was the most expensive.
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ReplyDeleteI think its awesome how you bake in honor of your grand mother. That is really something beautiful, and I'm sure pretending to be Santa's workshop is awesome!
ReplyDeleteI do have to say, I envy that bond and family time your family has. My family was once like that and it has died out. I myself say “No thank you” to black-Friday. It’s crazy to think the extend people will go for overpriced gifts. I hope your family keeps the family time and you girls keep baking in your grandmother’s memory.
ReplyDeleteThe holidays have always a time for my family to come together too. My family has holiday traditions too.
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