December 7 2024 ~ Saturday (sunny, chilly now but going up to 64°!)
It’s unusually warm here this week – with temps in the 60s this weekend. But, snow is forecasted for Monday! Welcome to December in Colorado! And, how did we get to December? In any case, it hasn’t felt like the holidays are around the corner (or have begun) and I was needing something to ramp up my holiday senses/spirit.
And then it happened.
I was in my car on my way to my daughter’s earlier this week – the heady scent of pine filled the car as the back was full of pine branches that I scavenged from the compost bin at the local Home Depot (bough trimmings that she will use for making wreaths). I peeled a tangerine and that yummy, clean, citrusy fragrance mingled with the pine and instantly … it was Christmas-time.
My kids had a scratch and sniff book (remember those?) …”The Sweet Smell of Christmas” (you can get it on Amazon/Target for $7.06!) and there were gingerbread cookies, oranges, candy canes, pine branches to scratch and sniff as the story progressed. Darling illustrations and a cute story – fabulous! And the minute I peeled that orange, in my mind I was (once again) sitting with my kids and reading that story. Funny how powerful the sense of scent is!
So, it has begun … the festive holiday season … whether it is Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Festivus for you … or anything else … I hope it is happy and brings you much joy and happiness (especially this year as “things” have been a bit tense in this country/and elsewhere of late).
So, happy (whatever) holidays to you, dear reader. I say the “whatever” as not like a Valley Girl – “Whatever!” – or with an exasperated sigh – I just mean WHATEVER your holiday or observance leanings may be – may they be joyful, happy, memorable, and … yours.
My mom used to get miffed that I’d say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. She didn’t seem to understand that (as soon as mid-November came around) I liked wishing others a happy holiday – whatever that holiday was. Not everyone celebrates Christmas!
So, as I was eating my leftover Sesame Chicken this morning for breakfast (quite yummy and better solo than with the green beans that made my stomach feel like Mt. Vesuvius’s second coming last night!) … I got to thinking about holidays this time of year. How many are there? What also is observed and celebrated?
I was surprised. You’ll be shocked!
On this date, alone, there are 13 (count ’em ~ thirteen!) observances … it is the 83rd anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. But it is also Candle Day, National Cotton Candy Day, as well as (aptly) National Letter Writing Day … among others. And while not “holidays” some of these observances are as important to people as Christmas or Hanukkah might be to others. Personal interests/preferences/beliefs … I’m all for that.
So, how many of these special observances are actually in December? Ready for this? 250! Yes – two hundred and fifty holidays and/or observances are in the month of December! And, that’s not including the weekly and monthly observances for this month! So, dust off your party shoes cuz every day has a cause for celebration! I know I for one, don’t want to miss Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week – actually I just did/the last day is today! As was Old Driver Safety Awareness Week! But there are plenty more to celebrate!
As we slide towards the main holidays this month – let us not forget the other little bits of joy we can be reveling in and celebrating wildly, like … it’s National Bingo, Fruitcake, Pear, and Cat Lover’s Month! It’s also National Learn a Foreign Language Month (oui!), National Tie Month, and Operation Santa Paws observances.
Who knew? Here are some of my favs still coming up this month …
8th – National Brownie Day … Chocolate frosting or powdered sugar? Nuts or none? Cakey or fudgy? Anyway you like them … yum! It’s also National LARD day! Ew! But it does make an exquisitely flakey pie crust! Go hog fat!
9th – National Llama Day! I still have nightmares about that llama encounter I had on the island when I was doing a story on a cheese maker and she left me alone in the paddock with her goats and one very protective llama! He ran across the enclosure and stopped within inches of my forehead – his breath pouffing out my hair and his horrible brown buck teeth glistening in the sunlight. Ugh – too scary! I was so afraid he was going to bite my nose off! Obviously, he didn’t (I stood as still as a statue and didn’t make eye contact and eventually he got bored and wandered off), but if you’re going to have a llama encounter … maybe keep your distance and stay on the other side of the fence!
11th – National Bagel Day and National Tango Day … I wonder what it would be like to do the tango with a bagel in your mouth? Pretty satisfying, probably! Much softer than a rose!
13th – National Cocoa Day. Make yourself a mug and pile on the whipped cream, put your feet up and turn on a Hallmark movie. Every scene has someone drinking or making (the “World’s Best”) cocoa. I actually made some the other night – but mine had Amaretto in it. Even better!
16th – I’m liking this day’s observances … Barbie and Barney Backlash Day (ha ha) – who doesn’t love that? How many of us are STILL singing that purple dinosaur’s song when in the shower? It’s also National Chocolate Covered Anything Day! Yum! How about chocolate covered potato chips? Insects? Donuts? I’ll eat anything but the insects, thank you very much!
22nd – National Date Nut Bread day – now, that’s an observance I can sink my teeth into!
30th – National Bacon Day … now who doesn’t think that’s a great way to close out the year? Bacon, bacon, bacon!
If nothing else – look up/google “December Holidays” and you’ll get your fill. There’s always something to look forward to! Just pick and choose and enjoy!
With so many celebrations to choose from – I’m sure we can all have a very Merry and Happy (Whatever) Holiday season! Here’s to you and yours!