Annual holiday post..

I think this will be the hardest Christmas my family has ever been through.

We are not Christian, but usually celebrate family traditions that revolve around Christmas (many extended family are Christian, and we are huge fans of, and participants in, Christmas music). This year, though, it's scaled back because my eldest won't be home until mid-January.

Instead we're celebrating Chanukah as part of a family & community Chanukah celebration taking place tomorrow evening ... more a cultural celebration than a spiritual one, though gently spiritual with a multi-faith awareness. We're playing and singing some traditional songs, and also participating in a klezmer jam and dance afterwards.

Then on Solstice we're participating in a pagan-inspired but Christian-influenced multi-faith Longest Night musical celebration. Again, playing music, contributing to our local community, learning about other faiths and traditions.

On Christmas my mom will have us over for turkey.

Then in January we're creating our own holiday. Dh is taking time off work. Eldest dd will fly home. We have two birthdays but we'll also celebrate with gift-giving on a special day called we've dubbed Festivus ("for the rest of us," Seinfeld-inspired, of course). We'll have the advantage of being able to capitalize on post-holiday sales. Really haven't thought about gifts yet much. Nothing too extravagant. We normally spend maybe a hundred bucks per kid, following the "something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read" guideline. The kids are delightedly dreaming up "Festivus traditions" that we shall have to enact with feigned solemnity and commitment. Should be fun!

Miranda