Just for fun - what is your fave holiday and why?

[arivecchi]

Mine is definitely Christmas. Love the tree, decorating the house, staying for a week at the ILs, going to church with the entire family, the kiddos opening the gifts, the snow, the sledding, the hot chocolate and the eggnog. Need I say more? ;) The one thing I hate about it: the stressful shopping.

[Ceepa]

Christmas and Easter. I love the spirit of each. I find these holiday seasons genuinely moving.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'm a big fan of Thanksgiving. It's just so nice to kick back, eat good food and enjoy spending time with loved ones. Christmas is pretty rushed until about 2pm then it's really nice! I love Christmas Eve more but my 7yo has informed me that that is not a holiday. I'm a bigger fan of the anticipation than the outcome.

Beth

[jse107]

While I adore all the Christmas decorations, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because of it's origin. I think it's wonderful to step back and think of all the blessings we have in life. Plus, yummy food and a day of football are enough to make me happy!

[Reyadawnbringer]

Christmas for all the reasons OP stated

[citymama]

Halloween!

[calv]

Christmas and I just love everything about it once you take the commercialism out of it.

HALLOWEEN is a close first. Because it's the kids bday and it's so fun to plan/throw that party theme!!!

[plusbellelavie]

Until last year I would have said Thanksgiving and 4th of July because I just love the family gathering, the weather,the food and the fireworks and none of the stress of gift shopping! But then our youngest was born on Christmas Eve and I have to say that Christmas became my favorite holiday hands down!:love-retry:

[infomama]

Christmas. Thanksgiving is a close second.

[mommylamb]

It's hard to pick a favorite, but maybe 4th of July for me. I love fireworks and warm weather.

[wendibird22]

4th of July. Love, love, love the fireworks.

[AnnieW625]

Christmas is mine. I have lots of great memories from it growing up as a kid and I love the change in the weather. I also love being able to see family and I love decorating the house and the smell of fresh pine in the house. We've never had a white Christmas, but we are still close to the snow even though it doesn't come until later on in January.

[BabyMine]

Christmas becasue of the cold weather and the decorated houses.

[Corie]

Most definitely Halloween!


(I do love eating my Thanksgiving meal though...)

[lorinick]

All of them expect for Christmas. I hate the spending money and not a fan of decorating either. I do it but don't enjoy it.

[MontrealMum]

It used to be Thanksgiving, but since moving up here I don't get to celebrate it the way we used to back home: 4 day weekend, historical church service, seeing all my family, shopping the after-Thanksgiving sales :yay: , decorating the house for Christmas, wonderful turkey dinner...

Yes, Canada does celebrate Thanksgiving (it's this coming weekend), but it's on a Mon, not a Thurs., and my ILs do virtually nothing special (like with all the other holidays :( they are terrible with ALL holidays), there are no Congregational churches here that would put on a Puritan service, my family doesn't visit as it's not a holiday down there, and if we put lights on our house that early our neighbors would think we were nuts.

Only good thing is that I get to do two turkey dinners!!!

[JamiMac]

Christmas. Thanksgiving is a close second.

:yeahthat:

[wencit]

Thanksgiving. For us in Northern California, it's the first holiday of the season when it's really cold, so it's incredibly comforting and cozy to spend the whole day inside, cooking with the people I love the most, filling my house with the most wonderful smells.

[kerridean]

I am not a big fan of Christmas. I hate how materialistic it has become. I hate Christmas music and decorations because I have to hear it/see it in October in the stores and I am sick of it by December. UGH. I LOVE THanksgiving and Halloween!

[Melaine]

This is making me so exciting! I just love the entire season from Halloween right to Christmas! Sometimes I enjoy Thanksgiving more because of the anticipation that Christmas is coming though.

[aa2mama]

4th of July is my favorite. I LOVE fireworks and picnics and just the laid-back feel of the holiday.

I love Christmas, but the expectations are so much higher and there's so much more work in getting ready for it. That said, I love buying presents for people, and I love the suprise in opening gifts. And having the entire family together. And the midnight Christmas services that end with candlelight carols and bells tolling in the crisp winter air.

[fivi2]

1. Halloween
2. Halloween
3. Halloween :)

Seriously, I don't really get excited about any of the others. I have never liked Thanksgiving. Christmas mostly just stresses me out (and I live in a hot place, so we don't have snow or fun stuff like that). But now that my girls are getting older, Christmas is starting to be more fun.

[Seitvonzu]

my favorite holiday is actually EASTER. starting in grad school i would throw a big whooping party-- a champagne brunch and egg hunt complete with handdelivered invitations (one year little baskets with real plants and a hand made pom-pom chick in a blown egg shell, one year an easter mug with a hand knit finger puppet/grass/chocolate eggs, etc) delicious food, PRIZES (candles, liquor, nicer novelty dishes, etc) and really nice favors :) it was an adult affair in graduate school but last year we had mostly kiddos/parents w/ some grad school guests too :) i love the whole REBIRTH thing and lovelovelove spring. i also think easter has the best CANDY. people don't tend to do huge family things on easter, so it's a nice friend gathering holiday. i go all out on easter and send people home full and gifted. i don't let anyone bring ANYTHING. it's MY holiday. i also love the whole hat/glove/spring coat for church concept, but i'm catholic- so you don't see too much of that at a mass.

but i think christmas has the best COOKIES. and i LOVE cookies. i also love presents. i really do. i love getting someone something NICE. i LOVE buying things for kids. i love dolls and trains and stuffed animals and little stocking stuffers. i love wrapping a beautiful present that makes people regret having to open it... i love MAKING things too. holidays in general are a big deal to me... i love celebrating! i love commercial holidays, religious holidays and even made up holidays :) God bless Hallmark, not only did it provide my kookiest friend with a great job, it keeps people getting together and communicating... i'm only half way kidding, actually :)

i ordered a christmas ornament knitting kit in sept and didn't think that was too early to get in the mood..! i have a christmastime baby, so i need lots of lead time.

[Corie]

my favorite holiday is actually EASTER. starting in grad school i would throw a big whooping party-- a champagne brunch and egg hunt complete with handdelivered invitations (one year little baskets with real plants and a hand made pom-pom chick in a blown egg shell, one year an easter mug with a hand knit finger puppet/grass/chocolate eggs, etc) delicious food, PRIZES (candles, liquor, nicer novelty dishes, etc) and really nice favors :) it was an adult affair in graduate school but last year we had mostly kiddos/parents w/ some grad school guests too :) i love the whole REBIRTH thing and lovelovelove spring. i also think easter has the best CANDY. people don't tend to do huge family things on easter, so it's a nice friend gathering holiday. i go all out on easter and send people home full and gifted. i don't let anyone bring ANYTHING. it's MY holiday. i also love the whole hat/glove/spring coat for church concept, but i'm catholic- so you don't see too much of that at a mass.

but i think christmas has the best COOKIES. and i LOVE cookies. i also love presents. i really do. i love getting someone something NICE. i LOVE buying things for kids. i love dolls and trains and stuffed animals and little stocking stuffers. i love wrapping a beautiful present that makes people regret having to open it... i love MAKING things too. holidays in general are a big deal to me... i love celebrating! i love commercial holidays, religious holidays and even made up holidays :) God bless Hallmark, not only did it provide my kookiest friend with a great job, it keeps people getting together and communicating... i'm only half way kidding, actually :)

i ordered a christmas ornament knitting kit in sept and didn't think that was too early to get in the mood..! i have a christmastime baby, so i need lots of lead time.



Okay, first, I am definitely coming to your Easter party this spring. I'll give
you my address for my special delivery invitation. :)

Second, you should host a Christmas cookie exchange party since you
love cookies!

[Seitvonzu]

Corie--
Come on over :) it's a fun fun day ..my favorite of the whole year!

[ilfaith]

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Since we don't celebrate Christmas, it's one time I feel like I'm get into the holiday spirit along with the rest of the country.

Growing up we'd always spend the holiday with my mom's family, either in Massachusetts or Connecticut...I always felt there was something special about being in New England for the holiday.

When I lived in NYC I used to love seeing the balloons inflated the night before the Macy's parade (near the Museum of Natural History) a few blocks from my apartment).

I could eat stuffing and cranberry sauce every day and be happy...although I don't like pumpkin pie at all. Thanksgiving was the one holiday we had real traditions for, including the same recipes year after year. If anyone tried to vary the menu (a different preparation of the sweet potatoes or stuffing) and nobody would be happy.

After getting married I even got used to spending alternate Thanksgivings with DH's family, with dinner catered by Ben's Kosher deli...even though I am quite certain the Pilgrims didn't eat their turkey on rye bread with Russian dressing along with knishes and potato kugel.

I'm actually a little sad that this year we will be spending Thanksgiving home in Florida, and that no family is coming to visit. DH refuses to fly up north this year, and it's too far to drive for the long weekend). I do find it harder to get into the spirit of the holiday when it's 75 degrees.

[kijip]

Easter.

When I was a kid, there was always a big family thing around Holy Week and I became very accustomed to/comforted by Palm Sunday, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

The non-religious Easter/equinox/Spring traditions are a lot of fun too and I love dyeing eggs, eating a wonderful brunch and I adore lamb, which is what we usually cook for Easter dinner.

I feel stressed around Christmas about the work, getting things right etc but not about Easter, so that helps make it my favorite.

[billysmommy]

Halloween and Christmas

I love them both for so many reasons :)

[maestramommy]

Christmas most definitely. I get into all of it. The trees, decorations, services with all the beautiful music, and being with friends and family. And of course the food! :p

I saw "The Nativity Story" last year and was really moved by it. Each year I get more introspective over Christmas, thinking how amazing it is that the telling and celebrating of this even has endured over time, and doesn't disappear, even with all the gross commercialization that surrounds it.

There was a time when I was totally over Halloween, but now that I have kids I enjoy it again!

[tiapam]

My fave is Valentine's Day. I like the idea of all those people (adults and kids) telling each other I Like/Love You on the same day. And it has stayed relatively low key compared to Christmas and Halloween.

When I was a kid, Halloween seemed funner (more fun?). I know adults had Halloween parties back then, but now it seems like they have taken it over completely. And kids don't just go trick or treating and get candy, there are all kinds of parties for kids, too. I think candy has actually become less special, I feel like it is everywhere all the time.

I loved Christmas when I was little, now it has gotten kind of stressful with all the shopping I have to do, plus holiday travel.

[Piglet]

Passover - totally lots of work, but I really love it every year once we all sit down to seder.

[Fairy]

Dude.

Halloweenie!

I'd give up every birthday, every Hanukkah, every Xmas to get my Halloweenie. It's a big hairy deal in my family.