Holidays

I have never been a big fan of holidays. For some reason they make me feel ... well... inadequate.  I think the only exception to that is Christmas. I have always liked Christmas. But the rest of the holidays I could totally do without. I do appreciate getting the days off from work, but that's pretty much it.

I think my lack of excitement is directly proportional to my lack of a large family. Growing up, it was always the 4 of us: Mom, Dad, Gabi, and I. We do have aunts, uncles, and cousins, but they never lived close by. So as far as I was concerned, they were not really part of my life. And for the most part, I was ok with that. But holidays were (and still are) the exception to that.

Holidays are days that, traditionally, you are supposed to spend with family. You are supposed to have large gatherings where everybody brings a dish to share. You are supposed to rotate who hosts each year. You are supposed to ensure that everybody gets invited, and that everybody responds. And I guess by the time the holiday is over, you are also supposed to complain about the one family member that year after year manages to annoy the heck out of everybody else.

Having a small family, all of the above is completely foreign to me.

I of course ended up marrying somebody who has a larger family, but all in France. So neither one of us contributed a lot of family members to our everyday lives. On one hand, I know that makes it easier on us. But on the other hand, I will always be envious of those that have a large clan. And I hope my kids don't feel like they are missing out.