Holidays and Family

When I was little the tradition was that my mom would do a big baking blitz in the week or so before Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve she'd have a small get-together of family and friends and then take my little brother and I out to look at Christmas lights. My great-aunt Mary's neighborhood always had the best, and sixth grade and onward I loved looking at them without my glasses on. I think she did it so we'd be tired enough to fall asleep right away. Then we'd wake up early and open presents and have breakfast, and my dad would pick us kids up at noon. We'd stop in Orlando (my mom's in Titusville, on the east coast of FL; Orlando's in the middle) to see my stepmom's parents, and my stepmom and little half-sister (and later the other younger half-sister) would be waiting there. They'd have a few little things for us, but neither of us minded that their blood grandkids got more and better presents. Then we'd go to whichever of my dad's siblings was hosting Christmas dinner's place (my dad has the smallest house out of them so we never hosted) for Christmas dinner in Brandon, which is towards the west coast of Florida. And a few little gifties exchanged about the auxiliary family. Then we'd go home to my dad's fairly late, and decide whether to open presents at night or the next morning.

At Wainwright, the past two years we'd have Christmas lunch with our friends the Reids and exchange a few presents. Both times I felt grown-up but young, seeing people about my age doing holiday stuff like their families did. I guess we are grown-ups now.

This year...I have no idea what we'll be doing, or even where we'll be doing it. Probably here in a tiny-ass apartment full of half-emptied boxes. :P

Even though I'm an atheist, I still like the cheesy, commercialized side of Christmas (well, except the music; that can die in a fire!). Especially the sugar cookies. (I love "junk food holidays" in general.) Plus, Christmas is easier than remembering birthdays and I like getting/making people stuff, and random gift-giving tends to raise suspicions of ulterior motives. :P

What sort of things did you do for the holidays? Which holiday(s) did you celebrate? What do you do now, and if you move often, how does that affect the celebrating?