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THE M'DA.NIEl FREE PRESS DECEMBER10 2007 10 Features I Holiday Lifestyles Fond memories lay in holiday traditions By Rachel Hooper turn to school and begin anticipat- What image comes to mind when favorite Chrisrrnas movies. We love Traveling by plane, car, bus, and ing Christmas. But my experience The essential ideas she thinks of the holidays? Charlie Brown's Christmas and (he train, my high school friends ar- of media revelation about Black that create the "The menorah, lighting one older version of A ChristmllS Carol. I rived home for Thanksgiving break. Friday has made me rethink what more candle every night, and Ha- love baking Christmas cookies and I sat watching TV and waiting for makes the anticipation of Christ- special ness, I believe, nukkah geld (jewish chocolate going to my aunt's house to hand- their phone calls. l was muck by mas, Hanukkah, or other winter are the memories and money)," said Coleman. make special cookies called Plzzels. two emotions. First, I felt the fun holidays so emotional and spe- the associated music, She looks forward to the two Every year my mother and aunts of anticipation, waiting to get to- cial. The essential ideas that cre- big presents along with the big din- make a wreath from fir branches gerher with my friends, many of ate the specialness, 1 believe, are foods, images, and ners on the first and eighth nights and take it to the cemetery to pur whom I hadn't seen since summer. the memories and the associated store displays-in of Hanukkah. Her favorite memory on my grandmother's grave. Secondly, I felt annoyance. Every music, foods, images, and store is playing the dredel game with her More than anything else, my TV commercial break was an an- displays--in short, the traditions. short, the traditions. family. Her memory of family tra- favorite memories are of Christ- nouncement of pre-Christmas, We have a place in our hearts for We have a place in ditions includes the lighting of the mas Eve. We have an open howe Black Friday sales. The advertise- cultural, family. and personal tradi- our hearts for cultural, candles, family activities, and her with an enormous spread of food ments announced store openings tions. Our holidays mean so much father reading Hanukkah books. and drink at my aunt and uncle's beginning as early as 4 a.rn. My more when we can anticipate (he family, and personal Her dad's side of the family is home. My uncle is Italian, so the show was periodically invaded by traditions. traditions. Christian, so the family also had buffet includes a variety of differ- a little stick figure of a racer, with 1 asked a few people about a Christmas tree she remembers em fish. We then watch one of our his feet on starring blocks, poised their special holiday memories decorating. What do the Christ- favorite Christmas movies. Our for the starter's gun. He then rook and traditions. Carol Waddell, While growing up, she recalls mas and Hanukkah holidays mean evening comes to i_n end as we put off across [he borrom of the screen academic counselor at the Srudenr gerring together at her grandmoth- to Coleman? on our coats and drive off to attend pushing a shopping cart containing Academic Support Center (SASS). er's house with her eight aunts and "I guess having Christmas a candlelight church service. There [he Target bulls-eye logo. spoke about her favorite childhood uncles and twenty-nine cousins for represents for everyone, like being is something so peaceful about Clever, but hey, what happened holiday memory, recalling one spe- a buffer dinner. What image comes together with your family no mat- holding burning candles and sing- (0 Thanksgiving rurkey, stuffing, cial Christmas morning when she to mind when she thinks of Christ- ter what religious background you ing Chrtscmas carols. and pumpkin pie~ Thanksgiving was in sixth grade. Her family had mas? have," said Coleman. Most of us have favorite holi- memories are about football, fam- recently moved to a small farm. "Kids, being so excited," said I am not completely against day activities and memories, which ily ger-rcgerhers, and grandma's She and her sister were opening Waddell. the consumerism associated with are important to our culture, our house, but I am worried that the presents in the living room, and With her own children and Christmas. I enjoy going Christ- families, and our personal memo- television media is telling us chat her father went out to feed the husband, Christmas involves tradi- mas shopping with my friends. A ries. Our holidays are so much Thanksgiving has become primar- steer. When her mother called the tions. Every Christmas Eve, they lot of thought goes into thinking more [han a shopping frenzy; they ily the beginning of the real winter kids into the kitchen for Christmas go to a movie, eat Chinese dinner, about and finding the right gifts are the traditions that bring mean- holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah, breakfast. their father had brought and attend church. for people. With my high school ing to us and our children. ' and Kwanza. in another gift. There in the kitch- Sophomore Julia Coleman friends, we did a Pollyanna because Now that Thanksgiving and en was a pony. "And its name was spends Hanukkah with her im- there were so many of us. Every Black Friday have p~d. I can re- Pepper," said Waddell. mediate family and grandmother. year I look forward to watching my The best gifts It's not always the thought that are free ... counts By Bethany Grove "1 hate when people [usr go ... or at least personal ized Many people have had that mo- to the store and think they can get ment of panic after opening a holi- such personal stuff for you, and day gift of clothing, after which all you will like it," said DeSimone. By lloll