December 2011

Happy holidays! What do you want the holidays to be this year? How do you want to celebrate it? There are many ways. You can have a huge, tree, lots of expensive presents, put many lights up. You can have quiet gatherings of family and friends. You can light the Chanukah menorah and spin a dreidel. You can make a bunch of food. You can go out to dinner. You can volunteer in a soup kitchen. You can dress up in your fanciest clothes.

The point is is that there is no “proper” way to celebrate the holidays. You may have some traditions that you have always done. But you need to stop and ask yourself, “Do I like those traditions?” Yes, you always do them, but are they meaningful to you? Do you really want to Aunt Jean’s fruitcake on Christmas eve? If the answer is no, then you get to start all over again. Ask yourself, honestly, how do you want to spend the holidays? Who do you want to spend the holidays with? How much money do you want to spend? And the most important question of all: what do the holidays actually mean to you?

Once you have figured out those answers, make your plans. Include the people that are meaningful to you. Celebrate the holiday your way. So once more: Happy Holidays!!