Favorite Holiday and Why?

[larussel03]

What is your favorite holiday?

Mine is thanksgiving. I love the smells, the season, (LOVE NOVEMBER) as well as family all being together and I feel like it's less stressful than xmas. My bf loves thanksgiving too, even made up his own song about it...haha (something like "turkey lurkey do and turkey lurkey da"....ok he's no artist lol)

EDIT: sorry for fogetting alot of fun holidays like 4th of July, Valentines day and Halloween--I tried to edit the poll, but couldn't add to it...

 

[Mara]

Mine is SO Christmas.

The decorating of the house, the getting of the tree, the singing of the Christmas Carols (I sing them all year long in the shower), and everyone else's house and streets and walking through the lit-up Christmas in the Park and seeing The Nutcracker, which we do every year in SF....the making of the tamales which is a tradition for all the women in our family to do each December a few days before Xmas Eve...then Xmas Eve with the whole family and then Xmas morning with just us two and then Xmas Day with my immediate family, aka parents and sisters...then we go see a movie usually in the evening and then enjoy more food before heading home. It's more of a celebration than Thanksgiving for us and it lasts longer so that's why I love it. Oh and DUH, PRESENTS!!!!!

 

[glaucomflecken]

I agree with Mara! I love the whole Christmas season. It helps that my birthday is a few days beforehand so there are lots of celebrations! I love decorating and the smells of spices and being with the family and I love giving presents to everyone and seeing their faces when they open them. I like receiving them too.

 

[njc]

I love decorating for Christmas and cooking! "My thing" is making all sorts of cookies and candies and giving that as presents to most people. I am CRAZILY psyched about decorating this year though... for the first time ever its MY house. My niece and nephew (7 & 5) are at the perfect Santa Claus age and i love spending Christmas Eve with them preparing for him to come... i dont know if that will happen this year though.

DH and I havent figured out splitting holidays with the families yet (different states) AND the 24th is his b-day...

 

[jadeleaves]

Christmas to new year.

Because the other holidays are not really celebrated over here?

Xmas - NY is the only time all my family gets time off at the same time, so it''s a big family reunion over that period.

Of cos - the pressies! I love xmas shopping and searching for the perfect gift for my loved ones. There is something very satisfying that gives me a glowy feeling when their eyes lights up when they open their pressies!

 

[curlygirl]

I love Thanksgiving because it''s all about eating and being with family. No gifts, no religious significance. Just overeating and enjoying pleasant company!! My birthday is 2 days before Christmas so I think that''s why I''m not as big a fan as I should be! I always get cheated out and I feel like Christmas steals my thunder!!!

 

[Kaleigh]

I love Thanksgiving because it''s all about celebrating family and giving thanks. No stress, just eating and enjoying eachother''s company. Christmas is great too, just more complicated and expectations run high. I do love decorating the house and picking out the tree with hubby and kids. Christmas Eve has a magic to it, love that. Especially doing the kids stockings, and then sneaking them into their rooms and laying them on their beds. That''s fun!!!

 

[Scintillating]

Why isn't Halloween on the List?

When I was a kid it ran a close 2nd to Christmas.
I just love carving a pumpkin every year - and having your neighbors be so charitable and giving!
It's just such a fun frivolous holiday.
As an adult I just love Christmas - nearly as much as I did as a child.
I'm a Christmas baby too - born just 7 days before Christmas - so my birthday does get forgotten, but
there is just so much magic about that time of year. So many wonderful traditions.

Scintillating...

 

[coconut]

Mine is also Christmas.

I love almost everything about my life during Christmas.

Heck, I even love spending it with all my in-laws!!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

My favorite is Thanksgiving. I really love food!

The idea of christmas appeals to me. . .tree, docorations, fragrant candles, snow, etc., but the reality bothers me. Just too much stress. When I went to the mall last Sunday, I was carrying my son and two cars within a span of a couple minutes stopped to let me go across the path in front of them (both times I didn''t even attempt to go, they went out of their way to stop) but then when I crossed, in both instances, the drivers actually motioned that I was inconviencing them even though I was walking very quickly. Then right after this, I turned to watch a family of five almost be run over by another car that ignored them as they were traveling across the crosswalk. First thought in my mind was it''s not even christmas yet!

People have turned into jerks. Sorry to be so negative, but i"m totally dreading the terrible traffic, long lines and rude rushed people!

If Christmas was just about food it''d be ten times better! (and I don''t think xmas is even about gifts - these are okay - it''s just about pushing people to the limit with unreal expecations and forcing everyone to hang out with relatives we avoid for the rest of the year FOR A REASON!!!!)

 

[Mara]

MC that's why I SO don't go to the stores at all during the holiday season, I do 99% of my shopping online. I'd gladly pay shipping expenses to have peace of mind and not deal with everyone else's stress during the holiday season. That way I get to focus on the fun stuff like decorating and wrapping the gifts!

ETA: If I have to go to the mall or something during the holiday season to do that last 1% of shopping, I go at something like 9am on a weekday so that no one is in the stores (it's DEAD pretty much) and I can be in and out in 30 minutes.

 

[MiniMouse]

Christmas in the real world is my favourite holiday, however, here in Saudi Arabia, it''s just a normal working day and generally not mentioned by the locals. For that reason I really enjoy Thanksgiving over here as it''s an event you can mention and get excited over. I particularly like the fact there''s no need to think about presents, it''s all about being with family (or friends in our case) and enjoying a great meal. However, when we eventually return to the States we''ll be celebrating Christmas big time!!!

 

[Lorelei]

Definitely Christmas! I look forward to it very much, love making my cake and get as excited as a child as it gets closer. Here is England we do decorate but not the outside of the houses so much, you just will see a few lights in the windows but that is lovely to see. We rarely get snow

and I would love a white Christmas just once! I love hot mince pies, mulled wine, midnight mass, Delia Smith''s Christmas TV show - our Martha Stewart, pressies, stockings for the pets, excited Hubbie, carols and food food FOOD, for once I throw caution to the wind!

 

[DonaBella]

I love Thanksgiving...the family recipes of specific favorite foods, the friends, the family, the traditions...its about appreciation of family and what we have...each other.

I also have to say Valentine''s Day cuz my honey and I were married on 2/14/81 so it makes this holiday extra special for us as a couple...this upcoming Valentine''s Day marks 25 years as husband and wife, but 26 years that we have been a couple...now that''s special!

 

[icekid]

Christmas!!!!! Absolutely love and adore it ever since I was a small child (and woke up at 3 or 4 am and then slept on the couch, b/c I was so excited).

My little sister and I make cookies every year, which is really special time ever since I have moved away. I make these fantastic cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate in the morning. I love Christmas lights, I love Christmas carols, and I love the trees too.

Love wrapping presents and making them shiny and pretty! I even do my mom''s these days. When I was younger, my parents used to wrap all of our presents and not get to bed until 3 am (right before I got up at 4 am

). I feel like one of the reasons that part of me wants to have children is so that they can experience the excitement that comes with Christmas when you''re a kid.

Like Mara, I do the vast majority of my Christmas shopping online- much easier that way.

I can''t believe there is Christmas stuff in the stores already... but I am not complaining

 

[MissAva]

I know it is mostly a Hallmark Holiday...but why not Saint Valentine''s Day? Or Fourth Of July?
As it happens my favorite holiday is the Fourth of July. Spending time with my family outside. Running across the lawn with sparklers. Arguing over politics and ideals of men who have long since been dead. Eating hot dogs, hamburgers, steaks, corn on the cobb and drinking iced tea....no better way to spend a day.

 

[VegasAngel]

Bf and I both agree our favorite holiday is any holiday where we get the day off from work.

 

[FireGoddess]

Very cool thread!!

I am a Christmas FREAK. Big, big, big time. I was actually playing Christmas songs all day on my computer yesterday, coincidentally. This year I held out pretty long. Two years ago I started in August. Once I start, it's over...I don't listen to anything else.

I love everything about Christmas, many things others have said already - the food, the smells, the presents...I love decorating the tree. Last year was the first time DH and I had our own Christmas (instead of flying to the east coast to be with my family, which is always a very hectic and harried thing) and we went to our first Christmas tree farm, chopped down our own tree, and then I had a tree trimming party with lots of friends and yummy food and mulled cider....SO much fun!!!

I love the lights on everybody's houses...during Christmas time I like to take walks in the evening and see all the houses that are decorated, all the stores that are bustling with people and candy canes and music, etc. It makes me feel so happy inside.

I love the smells of fires in the fireplace, of roasting chestnuts, of evergreen trees in the house, of pies in the oven....makes me feel so warm and cuddly!!!

The thing I love THE MOST however, is that during the season people are reminded to be kind to one another, about looking out for fellow man, you see more volunteering at soup kitchens and so on...during this time people act the way they should ALL YEAR, but usually don't. So it reminds me that people can be good to one another, if they try. That's what I love the most. I should note that this sentiment does NOT apply to the shopping malls, where frenzied attempts to find a parking spot usually display the ANTITHESIS of the sentiment.

But I've managed to avoid most of that in the past few years by shopping early...deciding what I want to get friends and family and doing that early.

 

[MINE!!]

Christmas.... I love Christmas... But I love all the fall holidays!! I love the music and the sounds... as soon as it tuens cold I start to humm the christmas music. I literally have to stop myself from decorating for Christmas in late Sept.... I have gottten better over the years though. I used to decorate for Halloween in Mid Sept and Christmas in Oct... I just can''t help it!! I love it.

I love the lights and the smells... yummmm cinn. and cookies. Bells and Christmas music!! My kids writing letters to Santa and making cookies for the neighbors. Getting the toy catalog and looking through it with them. Watching their little eyes light up and get excited whenever they see lights insomeones yard!! Calling NORAD on Christmas eve so the girls can talk to the soliders and find out where Santa is and when he is going to be at their house.. I LOVE Christmas!!

Midnight church and singing Happy Birthday to Jesus!! We love it!

 

[snuga]

X-mas X-mas X-mas

 

[larussel03]

Anyone know if I can edit the poll to add more holidays that I forgot??

 

[Jelly]

Christmas, because I love getting time off work. hehe

Plus the music is fun.

 

[bling*diva*]

~~My favorite holiday is Christnas because I love holiday movies, and I love the season, and just having everyone together... It just makes me sooo happy!!!!

 

[Mara]

Why not V Day for most? Well for me, Valentine's Day isn't a real 'holiday' IMO..it's mostly just a marketing gimmick...you should actually treat your SO like you want to be treated on VDay ALL YEAR LONG!

I like most holidays because you can get together with friends and family, love 4th of July for the 'American'-ness of it...apple pie and hamburgers and all that.

But Christmas just wins out every time. I like Thanksgiving too but I don't love the holidays that are just one day or where you don't DECORATE for them, that is what gets me with Christmas. All the pre-planning, the music, the tree, the decor, it makes it seem much more fun since it's longer-term I guess.

 

[fatafelice]

I''m going to have to put in a write-in vote for Halloween. It is absolutely my favorite. I love fall...the smell, the weather, the leaves. I also have traditionally been dedicated to pumpkin carving! More than that, Halloween combines my two favorite "C''s"...Costumes and Chocolate!

Now, if only this Halloween brings me the other four...

....I''m not holding my breath.

 

[AndyRosse]

Thanksgiving and Christmas! Thanksgiving because friends and family get together to relax, eat, and enjoy themselves! Christmas because I just love seeing the festivities, lights, christmas trees, etc.

 

[MissAva]

Date: 10/30/2005 4:30:53 PM
Author: Mara
Why not V Day for most? Well for me, Valentine's Day isn't a real 'holiday' IMO..it's mostly just a marketing gimmick...you should actually treat your SO like you want to be treated on VDay ALL YEAR LONG!

I like most holidays because you can get together with friends and family, love 4th of July for the 'American'-ness of it...apple pie and hamburgers and all that.

But Christmas just wins out every time. I like Thanksgiving too but I don't love the holidays that are just one day or where you don't DECORATE for them, that is what gets me with Christmas. All the pre-planning, the music, the tree, the decor, it makes it seem much more fun since it's longer-term I guess.

I meant that it was intreasting that she did put Valentines Day as an option but she did St Patricks day, to me they are on the same level.

I had not thought of your point about apple pie and hamburgers though, it is nice that we are able to assimilate Dutch and German foods so nicely in one meal. Good call.

 

[moremoremore]

Halloween hands down....The weather, the smells, the candy, the spooky-ness of it all. I just love it.

 

[Blue824]

CHRISTMAS

Not for the presents I get, but waht I get to give others...I love wrapping presents, I love all of the shopping I get to do! I like trying to figure out what everyone else will like and seeing them happy when they get something that truly fits what they want. I put so much effort into that. Its the only holiday I celebrate with both sides of the family and everyone is home for. Also, I LOVE the food! Our meals are very traditional and while small things have changed they main dishes are the same. Christmas eve my favorites are my babcia's potato & cheese pierogi, cream of mushroom soup and potatos (then theres fish and other stuff I dont eat) and Christmas day our family tradition is to have pizza...among other things. As for the decorating, another one of my favorite parts!!! Our first floor is always done up. I've already been searching and thinking up new decorations and new ways to make my center pieces this year. Its just a lot of fun! And at the holidays everyone seems to appreciate it, which is fun.

ETA i sort of have to agree with the Vday not really being a holiday to me. With my bf we've only been able to celebrate the actual day of Vday once out of the 4 we've been together for, and while it is a great excuse to buy presents or dress up or splurge on a dinner, I love doing that randomly and would rather do it on a day when they don't hike up the prices or limit the menu for me

oh ETA again, I lied...we've celebrated it twice together, I forgot when he came to visit me in Paris. Thats probably the one exception. That was one of the most romantic weekends of my life, but it just happened to coincide with Vday and could've been any weekend and just as special.

 

[MissAva]

I hear you on that one Blue, V and I have yet to be in the same state on Vday. Though any excuse to eat choclate is a good day in my mind!