Day 340 - last day of work before vacay

 Today is the 4th day of the 49th week, the 6th day of the 12th month, the 340th day of 2023, and:

• Independence Day - Finland from Russia in 1917
• International Day to End Femicide
• Miners' Day
• Mitten Tree Day
• National 'Cook for Christmas' Day
• National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
• National Gazpacho Day
• National Microwave Oven Day
• National Pawnbrokers Day
• National Pfeffernusse Day
• Put On Your Own Shoes Day
• Special Kids Day
• ST Nicholas Day
• and Voyager 1 is 22h 32m 56s of light travel time from Earth, or 24,334,000,000 km / 15,121,000,000 miles / 162.67 AU

Quote of the day:

"Christmas... is not an external event at all, but a piece of one's home that one carries in one's heart."

~  Freya Stark, British-Italian explorer and travel writer 

In our family, while Grandmom Hughes was living, Thanksgiving was the holiday that meant if possible, you came home.  Christmas was more ... negotiated.  When I was little, my parents alternated each year between going to dinner on Christmas Day at one place and desert at the other.  When my kids were little, I had resolved the in-law issue by cooking dinner at my place, then packing up the kids and my husband's parents, and going to see both Grandmom Hughes then Grandmom Riley

Pre-Christmas rituals when my kids were little?  Driving in the car and singing "the 12 days of Christmas" or remembering the names of all the reindeer in song comes to mind.  The two of them pouring over the huge toy section of the  Sears and Penny's catalogs.  Christmas Eve was a luncheon out, then a visit to the talking reindeer [Tinsel and Bow] at Hutzler's in the Westview shopping center.   The kids going through "their" special ornaments to put on the tree.  Visits to different malls to see their trees and train gardens, and take a look at their Santas.   When the wrapped presents were under the tree, they were allowed to pick one of their's and try and guess what was in it, and I promised to tell them if they were right [they never did guess]. 

These days?  

 My daughter and son-in-law are working on setting their traditions for the girls to remember, such as cutting down their own tree and the entire family decorating it.  One year, during Christmas Day, the girls helped bake a birthday cake for Jesus.  A special advent calendar with daily readings.  Grandmom buying matching PJs for the entire family to wear on Christmas Day.  Having a formal family photo taken which gets sent out as a Christmas Card.   One thing that they do differently to slow things down a bit is to have each person open a present in turn instead of everyone just diving in at the same time.

My son started while in the Navy, when he couldn't be home, to make a point of wherever he is standing outside on Christmas Eve and singing "I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams."    Sometimes he calls me and we sing it together...

These memories are indeed Christmas - not the baubles and trees and presents.