Holidays
Now that we have passed Halloween, etiquette dictates we are supposed to focus on Thanksgiving (though, there are likely some who say we can also start focusing on Christmas, too). I am definitely focused on Thanksgiving, because it is my favorite holiday of the year. Plus, we’re traveling this year, which means I sort of have to pay attention to it ahead of time. But, I might also be getting Christmas fever, oh my.
Thanksgiving is the holiday my family celebrates together. Partly because we are Jewish (and never really get together for Chanukah) and partly because all of us children are married to or dating Christians (and thus, it is more appropriate to spend Christmas with our spouse’s/partner’s families).
This year for Thanksgiving, my family will gather on Cape Cod at my parents’ beach house. There are so many family members attending the festivities that we also have to rent the house next door, so everyone has a place to sleep. There will be 14 adults, 3 children and 3 dogs. Quite the group gathering.
There are many things I associate with Thanksgiving that are deemed inside activities. Food. Fires. Books. Warm sweaters. Long chats with loved ones. And so on.
However, I wanted to figure out a way to incorporate some activity into the week I will be gone (yes, that’s right, I am taking vacation time for the whole week). I definitely plan to bring my running shoes to meet up with this adored friend in Boston and also to do my favorite 6-mile loop at the beach at some point during the week I’m away. But, that’s not the same as, say, doing the Turkey Trot here in Chicago (which I did a few years ago), where you and a couple thousand friends get in a solid run on Thanksgiving Day before eating yourself silly later in the day.
But then I started thinking. So what I’m not in Chicago. So what there isn’t a professionally organized race in the sleepy little beach town. Who says I can’t run in a Turkey Trot? It was at that moment I decided that a Turkey Trot of our own was in order (hi dad, yeah, I plan on running this one by you and mom before making it official!). A 5K (3.1 miles). Run or walk. Kids and canines welcome.
I discussed it with Sweets, who thinks it’s a great idea. I have a course by my parents’ beach house house in mind (used Map My Run to ensure accurate mileage). I will set up water stations. And maybe even get prizes for participants. Entry is free, though maximum capacity is 14 adults, 3 children and 3 dogs. Pass the word around. =)
Try as I might to avoid getting ahead of myself, I have also gotten Christmas on the brain. It started off with this this lovely lady. She makes some great kitchen accessories, so I snatched some lovely, not-tacky Christmas towels for gifts when she participated in a local gathering of vendors. I also plan on making some DIY gifts this year, which means I’ve been thinking about the gifts for months and will need to actually make them in the coming weeks (between travel for Thanksgiving and all our many holiday parties we plan to attend!).
Generally, though, Sweets and I don’t go overboard with the holidays. Every year, I ask him if he wants a tree. Every year, he adamantly says NO. Every year we put up a Menorah. Every year we fail to light candles for each night of Chanukah. That’s just the kind of household we are right now.
But then, I was reading one of my new favorite design blogs and I saw this wreath.
And I thought that’s a wreath I could wrap my hands around. I mean, it’s festive without leaning towards one holiday or the other. And for this Jewish girl who always liked the idea of a wreath, well, I loved this idea of the one photoed above.
And so, I ran the idea by Sweets. Thinking he’d wrinkle his nose and shake his head No. But, he surprised me. He liked it. He told me to buy it. Oh and I might have also bought this candelabra. I mean, c’mon, it’s festive, too.
I’m beginning to realize that just because Sweets and I buck traditional traditions doesn’t mean we can’t come up with some traditions of our own. Including a very subtle dive into the holidays as the calendar is marked with November.
What are some of your own traditions you’ve started during the holidays that might make others tilt their heads sideways in wonderment?
November 5th, 2009 at 9:02 am
What a great idea for your Thanksgiving! My grandfather does one of those Turkey Trots here locally. All the entrants get a turkey, or they used to. He hasnt run the race for the past few years. Your week at the beach sounds like a great time and a fun way to spend Thanksgiving. We do the pretty traditional route. That wreath and candelabra are very festive. Good for you and Sweets for making your own traditions!
November 5th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Sounds like your Thanksgiving will be a week full or catching up, eating and relazing. I can see why you are excited.
The past few years have dulled my excitement for the holidays. I am not always allowed time off to go home so there have been times it has just been myself at a friends house. We’ll see what this year brings.
November 5th, 2009 at 9:45 am
My mom always forced the whole family to go for a walk about two hours after Thanksgiving dinner. The horro of that when I was in Middle School… To be seen with my PARENTS. ON A WALK! NO! My family doesn’t really ever plan to get together. If we do, we do. If we don’t, we don’t. Plus, living in the Midwest, the weather dictates some of that. I don’t know what this year will bring with the new baby around. Maybe our traditions will start to change!
November 5th, 2009 at 10:12 am
i think that’s awesome you’re organizing your own turkey trot! im doing the “feaster five” in andover this year with manfriend and a couple friends. such a great thing to do before stuffing your face all day! and you get a free pie for doing it!
can’t wait to run with you either!
November 5th, 2009 at 10:14 am
What a gorgeous wreath! I love it =)
Though some surely don’t understand, my mom and I insist on watching “You’ve Got Mail,” each Thanksgiving Day while the turkey does it’s thing and the boys are either watching football or sleeping. It’s our kick off to the holiday season, a mother/daughter tradition that started years ago and we keep it up to to this day.
I love the holidays but must admit I shook my head in disappiontment when Walgreens started playing Christmas music the DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN! I suppose there is no Thanksgiving music but really, that was just a bit too much for me. Save it until after Thanksgiving, people!
November 5th, 2009 at 10:29 am
The wreath and the candelabra go beautifully together and are wonderfully wintery without screaming holidays. Good choices!
We pig out and lay around for thanksgiving. That is a tradition I do not care to break. For christmas, though, Gabe and I never get a tree. We rarely buy gifts for one another. We also choose a specific thing that we want for christmas and ask for gift certificates toward that purchase instead of other random gifts. The first year we did it we got our Dyson. This year it’s tires. It’s always something we need, and usually something we want. That way we don’t get a load of crap that we don’t care about!
November 5th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Lovely wreath! And I’m SO jealous you’ll be get to see Ms. Brookem.
Can’t say we have any traditions in my family. It’s always been just my parents and myself because we’ve always lived far away from our extended families (so depending on where we are for the holidays usually dictates what we do). The only thing is that we always try to be together for Christmas, but sometimes even that’s not possible.
This is the one thing that I really envy others for, traditions they have with their families. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to make my own!
November 5th, 2009 at 11:03 am
First, I love thanksgiving too. I love the idea that it still represents getting together with family and/or friends (with awesome food), but it doesn’t have the same commercialization as Christmas does. I don’t even think I would mind the commercialization so much if it started much later, like say, not september!
I also love the idea of creating your own run.
For the most part I’ve never really enjoyed Christmas. And it’s hard without a job because I do want to give people things, even if it’s something small. I’ve never had a big family to-do just because of the way my family is sort of set up and spread all around. And if you remember my posts about my trip home, they cause me a lot of stress.
The last couple of years though, I have spent with my Aunt, Uncle, 2 female cousins and their kids. They live in Orange County. I’ve actually really enjoyed it because for one, I do get to spend it with family, and two, its very low stress and quite fun. So maybe I’m warming up to it a little as well. But my favorite thing about Christmas is candles and lights. I cannot have enough candles.
November 5th, 2009 at 11:43 am
i love the idea of doing your own turkey trot! how lovely! :-) and MAN do i love that wreath…
November 5th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
I love your plans and love that you are setting up a 5k for everyone!
I have always wanted to do one on Thanksgiving but since I host it and everyone starts arriving from out of town around 10 or 11 in the morning it has never been something I could do. I do love Thanksgiving though so that makes up for it.
We have so many traditions that I couldn’t possibly list them all. I love all things sentimental so I have made a ton of things that my kids think are what everyone does. Hopefully they will continue the traditions when they have their own families.
Every year we celebrate St. Nicholas day by leaving our shoes out and then in the night he comes and puts an ornament in each persons shoe. The ornaments signify some event or interest that person has…this year I think it will be Harry Potter ornaments for all 4 kids. This way, each year when we hang ornaments on the tree we remember things about the year they got them. Some things they don’t remember so I get to retell the story of why they got a particular ornament. Putting ornaments on the tree turns into a very special thing because of this. That is just one of the things I do, there are so many others though. I grew up with not many things like this so I think this is why I am so excited about making some for my kids.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
You are so cute. I plan to resurrect the lighting of the menorah in front of the Christmas tree this year, as I always did when I was a kid.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Last year we barbecued hamburgers in the snow on Christmas Eve. It was my favourite part of Christmas and is definitely something we have decided to adopt as one of our “traditions.”
November 5th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
This post makes me so happy, I am sitting here grinning at my monitor like a, like a, like a kid on Christmas!!!
I love your idea of a family Turkey Trot…we normally play a rousing game of whiffle ball between apps and dinner…
I really like your decor choices, they seem so YOU! And you are absolutely on target…you and Sweets will build your holidays (whatever they may be) around traditions you love…that is what makes the holidays so great and why I love them so much.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Oh, I LOVE the idea of a family Turkey Trot! How fun!
Do email me some of your ideas for DIY gifts! A. and I have decided to go that route as much as possible this year, and I am STUMPED. I love that I have an art degree and am the most uncreative, unimaginative creature. And you, my dear, are simply BURSTING with creativity.
November 5th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
We finally get to do a Turkey Trot this year, since we are staying at home, by ourselves. The entry fee is just canned goods! Woo-hoo!!!
I think it’s great you are doing your own. I have big goals not to gain weight this year during the holidays (I actually hope to lose weight).
Our only traditions are that we put one (electric) candle in each window, and we put up a little fake tree with Star Wars ornaments. :) It’s fun to make your own traditions! We aren’t very religious, so we don’t have much of that going on ;)
November 5th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Well first of all, I will admit, I got a hush rush of excitement today when I visited Starbucks and my eyes glistened over all the Christmas decor they have up (including their red cups and pumpkin spice lattes!). Or maybe the rush was from the espresso… no, I am sure it was from Christmas.
I have already started putting together my Christmas letter (I mean, OUR Christmas letter?) and am totally going to start decorating the house this weekend. Since we don’t have seasons in LA, at least we can have a change of scenery inside the house.
The Hubs and I are just starting to make our own traditions, and I am afraid to say that none of them would cause someone to tilt their head. Unless you count watching Indiana Jones on Thanksgiving one of them.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Every year I have this fake Charlie Brown-like tree and people think it’s ugly but it’s a perfect fit in my apartment and I love it. I also really love having more modern, bold ornaments and decor because it’s traditional but not.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:54 am
We do the (Jewish) traditional movie on Christmas Day and Chinese food on Christmas Eve, but the year before last, my mom and I added a new one: a donut on Christmas morning. I don’t actually like donuts enough to indulge at any other point during the year, but it’s such fun when the town is so quiet to giggle in our sweats over an old-fashioned (hers) and a jelly-filled (mine).
November 6th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Wow! You’re organizing a whole run complete with water stations?? You may be the source of a whole new tradition in said sleepy beach town.
The one thing we do that people think we’re crazy for is caroling. Caroling might seem like a very typical holiday activity, but I can tell you that in Southern California, it is most definitely NOT. We have a small but stalwart group of carolers who love to sing… even if it’s to an empty house!
November 6th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Love the candelabra!
As I am Canadian, Thanksgiving was over and done with weeks ago. I celebrated by not eating any turkey, because I don’t like turkey.
Unusual holiday practices: Every year my Jewish family gathers on Christmas eve to celebrate my grandmother’s birthday. I think we’ll get a few more years of this before she passes away, and then Christmas eve will never be the same.