Seasons Eatings

Ah, the holidays! As clichéd and commercial as they can be, I have to admit I still love them. Friends put aside the distractions of day-to-day living and make getting together with each other a priority. Families, usually with the help of some spiked eggnog or hard cider, set aside petty differences to enjoy a day of feasting and familiarizing. Even the office Christmas parties can be fun, as you get a chance to see the person rather than the co-worker.

I love the silliness of it all as well. Whether it’s a ridiculous Christmas sweater, a cheesy Christmas song, or a poorly animated Christmas special on television—it’s just fun. Friday night I was treated to some college boys Christmas caroling and it brought back fond memories of me & my fraternity brothers doing the same thing. It’s nice to know in this cynical world there is still some honest enjoyment to be had in tradition (although I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wonder if I could convince one of the college boys to give me a lap-carol!).

As I’ve gotten older, my reasons for loving the holidays have changed, but the love is still there. When I was little, I used to look forward to the presents. Half the fun was trying to figure out what the gift was before unwrapping it. My brother would just tear into each gift hastily, but I liked to take my time and savor the anticipation. I would try to see how little of the wrapping paper I could remove and still figure out what the gift was, reading the small print on the box or looking for a tell-tale label (Matchbox, Sony, etc.).

Nowadays, instead of slowly unwrapping a present, I love peeling the foil off a freshly baked dish as I take it out of the oven. I still take my time and savor the experience—first the aroma, then gazing at the bubbly sides of the casserole dish, then finally taking the entire layer of foil off to admire my creation. And unlike a Christmas present, I get to eat it once I unwrap it!

The holiday season is the one time of year I give myself permission to indulge in whatever fattening, delicious foods come my way. I figure it’s my reward for watching my diet the other 11 months of the year.

So anyway, I hope everyone reading this has a great holiday—whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. Take some time to savor the season, and if you have any leftovers—let me know. I’m suddenly very hungry.