I suppose everyone has a favorite holiday. My guess is that, for most of us, that holiday is Christmas. It's a holiday with a miracle no matter how old we get. Furthermore, Christmas seems to bring out the best in us, an outpouring of good will as we look to help those who need a bit more "merry" in their Christmas.
I have only one complaint. Why do we have to heap "the holidays" in a two-month clump?
For all practical purposes, Halloween kicks things off with costumes and parties and decorations. Then, a scant three weeks later, we sit down to belt-buster meals and a gathering of the clan. In yet another three weeks, Christmas is upon us even before we get the table cloth and napkins ironed from Thanksgiving.
Then, as a grand finale, we are faced with yet another holiday as we greet a new year with more food and more parties. Then there is a long dry spell until Easter.
Oh sure, I remember Valentine's Day. It is celebrated by those who have paid the Christmas bills.
Somehow I can't get worked up over celebrating "Presidents' Day" or "Arbor Day" or even "St. Patrick's Day". They are all observed by government offices, banks and some retailers, but exactly how does one celebrate those days? Do we see the “Lincoln” movie? Plant a tree? Scratch through the closet to find something green to wear?
There are the holidays retailers call "Mothers' Day" and "Fathers' Day" but no surprise on how to celebrate those.
None of these can hold a candle to Christmas.
You can have a picnic on the Fourth of July and another on Labor Day, but there is a definite hiatus in celebrations between "the holidays" and Easter, and an even longer one between Easter and the next "Holiday Season". You would think there would be some way to celebrate all the days but with an arrangement of, maybe, one a month?
I am braced. We are two holidays down and two to go. By New Years Eve I will be all partyed out and be dozing in my chair by 9:30.
I'm glad the next one is the big one. Christmas is my favorite.
Liz Ciancone is a retired Tribune-Star reporter. Send email to opinion@tribstar.com.
Opinion
LIZ CIANCONE: Everyone has a favorite holiday
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