Aren't holidays the absolute best? I especially love Thanksgiving because to me it feels like the first event of the best time of the year! Family gathers and the slew of traditions begins! Now that I have two kids of my own, and the responsibility to carry on traditions lies on my back, I especially appreciate everything that my family did (and still does do) for the holidays when my siblings and I were kids!
I saw an article recently that cited a study done about holidays and the happiness most people feel when it is the holiday season. The study stated that they had discovered adults who reported feeling the extra surge of happiness hand-in-hand with the holidays do so because it reminds them of holidays during their childhood. Those memories take them back to a more carefree stage of life and they live in a state of giddy childhood happiness for the time. So this year, I am most especially grateful for old traditions that continue to bring me so much happiness today.
This year, I have a three-year-old so she understands and appreciates more of what is going on around her. We have been talking about Thanksgiving and all the fun things we get to do this weekend. We started yesterday with the annual Thanksgiving dinner at my husband's company, and can't wait for our actual Thanksgiving feast! I will definitely have an EZPZ mat with us and a good no-spill cup to help prevent some of the possible mess. And, I especially can't wait to have a giant piece of my grandma's banana cream pie after dinner. Ohhh, I can almost taste it now!
For a pre-dinner activity, my family always buys brand new coloring books and a new set of crayons. I'm sure it started because the adults wanted us kids to stay preoccupied and out of the kitchen, but it turned into a tradition and I still look forward to the brand new crayons every year! I like to buy a Christmas coloring book so that I can pull it out and keep the holiday coloring spirit going strong from Thanksgiving to Christmas!
After dinner, we always, always, always watch one (or two, or three) movies. Full disclosure, the adults mostly sleep through the movies. A movie party (or nap) is never complete without an extremely comfortable and cuddly blanket, right? If you have a Saranoni blanket, you know that blanket goes with you wherever a cuddly situation is possible. If you don't have a Saranoni, you need one (or two, or three) to add to your traditions, trust me!
Another one of my most favorite traditions and memories is spreading out the Black Friday ads from the newspapers all over the floor in my grandparents living room. The moms would sit around to plan out their attack and us kids would "ooh" and "ahh" over all of the awesome toys in the ads. I can remember laying on the floor next to my cousin pointing at pictures so vividly it almost seems like yesterday!
The rest of our Thanksgiving weekend is always full of searching for the first Christmas lights, hot chocolate, seeing a movie at the theaters, and of course, eating all of the delicious leftovers from the grand feast. My heart is so full of excitement and gratitude!