Only During the Holidays . . .
In 2021, at least twenty-four of the days between October 15 and December 31 include a religious or secular celebration—a holiday. My family and I celebrate Thanksgiving (sans false narratives that whitewash the brutal history of non-indigenous interactions with indigenous peoples), and Christmas (both a religious and a secular holiday for us), and New Year’s Eve (our particular brand of partying involves a viewing of Harvey or The Princess Bride, with popcorn and sparkling cider). I look forward to this time of year, in part because everything is, or at least feels, different.
Only during the holidays . . .
. . . do I abandon all thoughts of eating healthy for myself and the planet, and eat so much rich and marvelous food I sincerely believe I may have done permanent internal damage. (One word: stuffing. It encapsulates not only that which I love above all else in a Thanksgiving dinner, but also the general state of affairs after partaking of said item.) And then, as I make my way, groaning, to bed, there is a quiver of happy anticipation—tomorrow I shall have pie for breakfast!
Only during the holidays . . .
. . . am I free to devote entire days to joyful silliness. Case in point: on a normal Thursday, I would have been simply too busy to sit down with my nieces and nephew to write and produce the one-night-only, off-off-off-off-Broadway show, “Bread Gone Bad.” You won’t see this kind of production in any ordinary theater, I tell you what.
List of ticketed audience members
Only during the holidays . . .
. . . can I shuck off anxiety about getting to the next thing on my To Do list, and simply revel in the glorious multi-hued kaleidoscope of humanity. People-watching at the airport is a pleasure, over the holidays. No judgment, no tsking at others’ fashion sense—or apparent lack thereof, or parenting skills—or apparent lack thereof. (Partial amendment: my holiday-happy, judgment-free observations do not extend to people who refuse to wear masks to protect each other—that is one of the many ways COVID-19 has soured the otherwise blissful holiday experience, for me.)
Only during the holidays . . .
. . . will at least one child, and often all children present at any holiday gathering, individually or in tandem, have a meltdown of such magnificent proportions that it will go down in history. At least until the next year’s holiday gathering.
Only during the holidays . . .
. . . do I look around the table, and hold up in love and light those for whom we no longer have to set a place-setting, whose special napkin ring engraved in childish script now sits at the bottom of the basket, too sacred to use, too poignant to discard. I am reminded that each of those who passed on had quirks and flaws, and now I miss those almost as much as I miss their virtues. May I be so lucky, after I pass, that those I leave behind tell stories of my ridiculousness, and laugh, and sigh.
May I be so lucky, after I pass, that those I leave behind tell stories of my ridiculousness, and laugh, and sigh.
Our family is struggling with two crises that have made this year’s holiday season less joyful than usual. But there is also new life on the way, and hope, and love, and we have managed to check off the list of unique holiday experiences, in spite of anxiety and grief.
And so, from our family to yours, we wish you a host of “Only during the holidays” moments, as we prepare to say farewell to 2021.
Image of woman in the cosmos by adonesFAO Pixabay.
Postscript: If you’re curious about where I came up with the assertion that there are at least twenty-four holidays between October 15 and December 31, check out these links: religious holidays; other holidays
