My Favorite Time of the Year …

I am not a fan of jumping the gun (not shark: see very erudite comment below) on the Christmas season. Seeing wreaths and lights go up while Halloween decorations linger is not my jam; however, I understand the desire to make preparations. It is not a lot of fun to string lights outside once the blustery, cold days of late November and December arrive. In our neighborhood, it is popular to delegate this onerous task to yard maintenance companies seeking to expand revenue generation into the months when lawns, trees and shrubs start to hunker down for the winter. So, even though the early efforts to jump-start Christmas magic repel my sense of cheer, I rejoice once Thanksgiving leftovers are stashed in the frig and the switch is flipped on the colors of lights that brighten the darkness that descends like a thick blanket during Pacific Standard Time.

There is a lot to like and appreciate in the post-Thanksgiving lead-up to Christmas, and here are some of my favorites:

• Anticipation of gift-giving: I love shopping online and, if Amazon is not enough, my social media feeds have expanded access to venues promoting compelling ideas for presents and stocking-stuffers. I mean who can resist fart pens with poop heads? Annoyingly difficult money puzzle boxes? Wacky socks? Remote controlled flying objects? Clever card games guaranteed to ignite multiple rounds of raucous family competition? Self-control is impossible!
• Holiday scratch-its: Every year I keep my eyes peeled for the debut of holiday-themed lottery scratch-its. I have learned that you do not want to procrastinate because these babies are popular and they sell out quickly, especially if you want to purchase a variety of tickets with different face values. Sitting around on Christmas day watching everyone scratch and create piles of waxy residue, listening for the triumphal exclamations of uncovering a sizeable winner, is something I look forward to all year.
• Endless tasty treats: Where do I even start? Bethany’s fudge? Jacob’s gooey cinnamon rolls? Zingerman’s chocolate Babka and classic rugelach? Janet’s Chex Mix? Christmas Eve Dungeness crab cocktails and pickled herring? Frosted tree, wreath and star-shaped cookies? A slow-smoked Prime rib? Yowsa! It is truly the season for snacking and feasting.
• The annual drive by extravaganza of holiday lights: At least once during holidays, we pile in the car and drive around taking in the sights and sounds of Christmas. Our loop always includes the neighborhoods where decking the halls is taken to amazing heights each year. Inevitably, some unsuspecting house guest will be whisked away on this outing and enlisted to help count the inflatable Olafs and ooh/ahh at dazzling displays of twinkling bulbs, light dripping icicles, glowing snowflakes and multicolor palettes spread out over outdoor shrubs and bushes.
• Christmas Eve service: O Holy NIght! There are few feelings better than attending church with your family on the night before Christmas. It is a special gift when your son-law-in is the pastor and his family participates in the music program. The atmosphere evokes a sacred blessing for the opportunity to sing carols and light candles together while singing Silent Night. Heading out into the oft chilly night after the service, you cannot but help feel the love of the ones most precious to you and gratefulness for another year on planet Earth.
• The great unwrapping: Christmas is never complete without the shredding of paper and strewing of stick-on bows. Watching the kids and grand-kids open presents is one of the truly epic moments of being a grandparent. Their excitement and appreciation is the best gift of the holiday. Meanwhile, I always feel compelled to grab shards of packing detritus in order to keep from disappearing under the deluge of recycling. It is just part of my OCD.

I am writing this post two weeks before Thanksgiving, so I am jumping the same gun (not shark!) that I called out in the first sentence. I still need to find that perfect Butterball turkey, and I will not forget to savor that piece of Pecan pie. But, rest assured, the second I settle on the couch for the final regular season football game of the season, I will be looking for the lights and the twinkle of my favorite time of the year to snap on.