3x Thursday: The Holidays, 2009 Edition

This week on 3x Thursday topic is The Holidays, 2009 Edition.

1. How do you feel about the holidays? Do you like them? Hate them? Why/why not? = I hate them! Because the true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. But, I feel Christmas has become commercialized, and today, the focus has become more about giving and receiving gifts. Many people still acknowledge the birth of Jesus on Christmas, but not as much as they focus on the gift giving part. I mean, I don't ever hear anyone talking about the birth of Jesus at 5 am the morning after Thanksgiving, but, on that same day and time, I do hear people talking about where they plan to shop and what they plan to buy and for whom. And, from that day and time, that's all I hear up until Christmas Eve. Let's face it, the gift giving is what is on people's mind - this is what Christmas has come to be about. To me, it's sad.

2. How was T-Day this year? Did ya make it thru ok? = Yes. I really enjoyed my Thanksgiving this year, as I do every year, but this year just seemed like a better time. There were a lot of things that made it better. One thing, and it’s kind of a small thing, but it made a huge difference, is that we headed to my sister-in-law’s earlier in the day than we have in the past years. Usually on Thanksgiving Day, we hang around our house longer, get ready slowly; watch a little bit of the parades on TV, that sort of thing. But this year we didn't do any of that. In fact, because we just moved into a new house, we don't even have cable TV yet, and couldn't watch the parades. So, the difference this year is, we arrived very early at my sister-in-laws, about 1:00 p.m., and we were able to sit and relax, and talk with our family members and friends for a long time, while sipping eggnog and pop, and eating chips and nuts - it was actually very relaxing and pleasant. Before, we woke up late, took our time getting ready and arrived just before dinner, and it was kind of hectic. But this year, we really had a good time with our family.

3. Are you looking forward to Xmas this year? Why/why not? = Yes, for some reason because my sister's family will come and visit us for the holiday. Then, they will come to spend almost a week with us. This is also my first time celebrating with Filipinos here in our area for Christmas party.