What the Holidays Mean to Me

I love the holiday season. It is, without question, my favorite time of the year. When I saw this available topic I snagged it almost immediately. After reading the description, I learned that I'm supposed to write about one particularly funny story or memorable moment that has happened to me during this time of year. I've decided to go a different route, though. Don't be mad, Associated Content. I still love you.

To me, the holidays mean making the two-minute drive to my Aunt Judy's on Christmas Eve. I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. Luckily for me, almost my entire family lived within 20 minutes of us. This meant a full house for every special occasion. Christmas Eve was no different. Even though we lived about a mile away from my aunt, it was still cool to see all the decorated houses as we drove through town.

The holidays mean playing ping pong in the basement of my aunt's house. I began playing before I could even see over the top of the table. Somehow, though, I never lost as a kid. Never.

The holidays mean my aunt making Bagel Bites as appetizers and me finishing an entire plate of them. Don't laugh. Those things are delicious.

The holidays mean a full family room and a large tree with presents for the entire family under it. Sure, it's crowded with about two dozen people sitting throughout the room opening presents. We never seem to mind.

The holidays mean making Christmas candy with Emily. What exactly do I mean by "Christmas candy?" Check out my Christmas in July article to find out.

The holidays mean listening to Christmas music. Everywhere. In the car. At home. At work. It's not just that we listen to Christmas music. We begin around the first week of November and that's only if we get a late start that year. What can I say? Em and I love our Christmas music.

The holidays mean peppermint mocha lattes from Starbucks. Every single one I have is worth the month and a half it drains from my life.

The holidays mean "maybe I'll make it into a sport coat," receiving Peanuts ornaments from practically every family member and having "Linus and Lucy" as my ringback tone for a month and a half. My Christmas would be much different without A Charlie Brown Christmas.

The holidays mean being six and seeing my then 19-year old brother begin to get sick from his lymphoma while at a basketball game. The holidays mean wishing he was there for the 18 Christmases since and the however many to come.

The holidays mean sophomore year of high school when there was no snow on the ground on December 23 as my entire mother's side of the family congregated at my house for an early celebration. Halfway through our dinner, the snow began to fall. An hour later, there was half a foot of snow on the ground and my other brother was throwing me, wearing my short-sleeved Snoopy shirt, in a pile of it. Thanks, Joe.

The holidays mean wrapping Christmas presents by the tree with Em on December 23 of last year as white out conditions took place outside. Em and I made plans to go sled riding the next day. We woke up to sunny skies, 45 degree weather and melted slush in the yard.

The holidays mean being back at my old house when my family had a gigantic Christmas tree and we had presents spread across the length of the floor. The holidays mean my cats opening up half of those presents because they could never wait for Christmas morning.

The holidays mean heading to my best friend's house at about 10 pm on Christmas night to officially end the holiday. Nothing quite finishes up a Christmas like kicking back, having a few beers, exchanging Christmas gifts and playing "Aggravation" on his kitchen table at two in the morning.

The holidays mean getting up at 3 am on Black Friday with the wife and laughing about how stupid we are and then doing it again the next year. Hey, we saved a bunch of money, not to mention found some cool stuff. Tyler is going to love his present from Emily this year.

The holidays mean Christmas commercials. All those beautiful Christmas commercials. Somebody really should write an article about Christmas commercials. Maybe even three. Those articles could contain links where readers could watch the best Christmas commercials ever. Alright, I'm now done promoting my work.

The holidays mean burning holiday candles, convincing Em's mom that a velvet sport coat will always be in style, going to Midnight Mass, making eggnog in college instead of studying for finals, watching "Super Bowl Highlights" on ESPN on Christmas Eve night (I wish they still aired those on Christmas Eve), playing with that awesome field goal kicker where, when you slammed his head down, his leg would actually kick a football and, even though the box said the toy could kick a 20-yard field goal, I never saw it happen and I tried and tried, wondering which family member would spell my name "Zack" this Christmas (already know who I'm picking this year) and Grandma Rose's baklava. Oh, the baklava.

Happy Holidays to all of you, especially my faithful readers that have been so kind as to read my work for a little over a year, now. Happy Christmas and God Bless.