Christmas Traditions

This is the season where traditions are either born, broken, or kept. Even though Christmas is just one day, its a holiday that encompasses most of the month of December.

The Christmas season generally starts with the Thanksgiving holiday and ends Christmas night. Mall workers spend probably most of the month of November getting ready for Santa to arrive. By the time Thanksgiving comes the mall has been transformed to reflect the winter season. Part of the mall will become the North Pole, where parents can bring their children to have their photo made with Santa.

Before Thanksgiving local stores will become decorated icons reflecting the coming holiday. Christmas will take over our daily lives. Home owners will decorate their homes in the spirit of the season. Some may go overboard with decorations while others are simplistic or even conservative.

Radio stations will turn over their programming to reflect the Christmas season. Only one local Michigan station will run 24hrs a Christmas music 7 days a week starting around Thanksgiving and ending the day after Christmas.

Christmas parades seems to be happening in every city in the state. It seems like every weekend leading up to the big day, there is always something to do somewhere in the state. Bazaars pop up everywhere during the Christmas holiday. Cookie walks spring up here and there, its a chance to get various cookies for one low price.

Christmas tree lots spring up on every corner. Stores like Home Depot and Lowe's will get a shipment of Christmas trees to sell at their stores. Smaller nursery's will have tree for sale. The closer you get to Christmas Eve the cheaper you can get your Christmas tree.

Families will bake cookies and other holiday goodies. I compile a list of cookies that I have to make before Christmas. I'll even bake a couple loaves of Italian Panettone bread to give as a gift or to eat on Christmas morning.

Some people will pick a date to go get a tree. My family will get a tree on Christmas Eve and decorate it that night.

Christmas day we usually have a turkey but last couple of years I think we've gotten Chinese food since that's the only restaurant open late on Christmas day.

All in all traditions are not a bad thing but in order for them to become part of your annual repertoire you must do them every year.