On OGrownups, some people have been discussing favorite holiday traditions. That got me thinking.
Although I love Christmas, Paul and I don’t do much for it. He usually volunteers to work the whole Christmas holiday, in part so that he’s sure to get time off for other holidays like Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. This year, he’s working ten days straight from the 21st to the 29th, then he has a four-day weekend for New Year’s. Often, he’s so busy that we don’t even open presents until a few days after Christmas. That’s not bad though: I like stretching out the fun over a few days.
Some years, I’ve decorated the house, but that seems like too much work this year. I just don’t have much energy, and I’d rather spend what little energy I have setting up the new barn. I also tend to do lots of cooking over the holidays, and this year, I’ll be experimenting more with my Sous Vide Supreme. But again, I’m just not up for much: I’m still too easily worn out due to my hypothyroidism.
That all sounds rather depressing, I know. However, Paul and I are not entirely bereft of Christmas cheer. We do have two very important traditions:
First and foremost, Paul and I stay home for the holidays. I hate to fly during the crazy rush of the holidays, and I find that I don’t much enjoy visiting family during the frantic bustle of holiday get-togethers. I love spending time with my parents, but I found that holiday visits were less than fun. So I stopped them; we visit at other times, when tons of fun will be had by all. (Such is the liberating power of an ethic of selfishness! Most people feel obliged to visit family over the holidays, whether they enjoy doing so or not.)
Second, Paul and I enjoy a fabulously fancy dinner with some of our local Objectivist friends. The past few years, we’ve dined at Opus in Littleton, always a gastronomic delight. I’m looking forward to doing that again this year.
Normally, Paul and I also take a few days off in early January to go skiing and/or snowshoeing. I don’t think I’m up for that this year. It’s not just the physical activities that would wear me out, but the travel itself, and the preparation for the travel. Right now, I’m exhausted by the mere thought of driving three miles to the Post Office to pick up a package. I’m not always so bad; I’ve been particularly worn out today, from the moment I woke up. Still, staying at home seems like all I want to do this year. Paul has that time off, so perhaps we can enjoy some more modest fun around Denver.
So… all of that was just a long-winded way of asking: What traditions do you enjoy to make your holidays of year particularly enjoyable? What could you do this year — or next year — to make it more enjoyable?
