Growing up: Part 3.

THE HOLIDAYS
Don't worry I am almost done "Growing up".  My childhood memories of the Holidays were nice.  My favorites were Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.  They all revolved around family when I was younger and probably why I enjoyed them so much.  I will start with Thanksgiving as a child.

Growing up Thanksgiving was always enjoyable.  My family would all pack up into my dad's truck and go to my grandma's house.  Several of my mom's side of the family lived on the same street.  The rest lived a few towns over, but a few lived out of state.  Every year all the relatives would show up, even from out of state!  There would be lots of food, of course, and lots of desserts.  Yummy.  I couldn't have a favorite because growing up I just loved to eat as much of everything that I could.  My brother and I would actually see who could eat the most.  There were only a few times one of us would actually get sick.  Really though it was us all having fun.

Us kids, anyone under 18 would all play in the yard until the food was ready.  Sometimes it was cold and rainy so we had to stay in.  Most of the time the guys would all play touch football or just catch.  The girls would play too, but mostly wanted to play tag.  I got along well with all of my cousins.  We were all blessed to have such a good family.  Once the meal was ready we would all wash up and go in to eat. 

My mom usually had us all hold hands and lead us in praying the Lord's Prayer.  I am not sure how she got picked when there were others who went to church too?  Hmm, maybe because she was more vocal about her belief.  Once we all fixed our plates to eat we pretty much took over the whole house.  Most of the older adults and very young kids ate in the dining area.  The others just found a spot on the porch or in the living room. 

Football was always on the T.V. at Thanksgiving and we loved watching.  The adults who weren't watching the games were usually playing some.  Most of the time it was Euchre or other various card games.  My parents always played but would yell in to see what the score was and who was winning. 

After about 3 or 4 hours everyone seemed to get really really tired.  That is when the kids would go for a walk.  Were my grandma lived there was a covered bridge.  It was fun to walk down there with my cousins and hear what they were up to and share the same about us.  When we came back from walking we would always eat more dessert!!  Finally it was time to cleanup.  Most of it was already done when the kids started helping but it was better that way.  We didn't want to be in the way you know.

I think my parents were some of the last ones to leave on Thanksgiving.  It was always dark out when we left and we usually went straight to bed once we got home.  I really enjoyed Thanksgiving as a child, but I have different reasons for loving it now.

Christmas:  Do I need to explain?  It was always a fun holiday.  Even if the weren't very many presents, and some years there were very few, it was always a good time.  My brother and I would wake up early and have to go back to bed.  Then wake up again and keep asking each other if it was time.  Then finally it was time.

We would go to the living room where the Christmas tree was and start opening the presents.  We tried to make sure we watched our parents open their presents too, but it was hard to wait.  After opening presents we had breakfast, which my dad was usually the one who made Christmas breakfast.  Sometimes, if it didn't snow or rain, we would take our new toys outside and play until lunch. 

Christmas lunch was usually at home or at my grandma's again.  If we went to her house, it was only a few of us who lived close.  It was still just as nice as Thanksgiving though.

Easter.  Easter was also a very fun holiday.  We would wake up to having a basket full of goodies waiting for us by our bunk beds.  Sometimes they were full of candy and small toys like cars or marbles.  Other times just candy.  After our small celebration of eating candy we would get ready for Church.  This was fun because we always had new outfits at Easter.  I am not sure if it is more common for girls to get dresses for Easter than boys to get suits, but my brother and I always got new suits.  Like I said in an earlier post we both looked good in our new suits.

We usually went to church earlier on Easter than normal Sunday's.  The church always had a "Son rise Service".  Notice the spelling SON not SUN.  It was important to understand the resurrection of Jesus.  If it wasn't for this, I would not be a Christian.  If God didn't have the power to raise Jesus from the dead, then nothing would matter about all the things Jesus ever talked about.  I will write about this later.

After church we would usually be given a brown paper bag full of peanuts and oranges.  Wait, was that done at Christmas too?  Maybe, but definitely at Easter.  It was fun.  Once we got home and had lunch we sometimes hid eggs for an egg hunt. 

Easter has always been important to me.  I think it is more important to me than Christmas now.  I celebrate them both as the same in a way.  Jesus came to us on Christmas, to live a life that would bring freedom.  On Easter He would raise from the death of punishment on a cross for my(and your)sins.  Yes, it is important to celebrate God's gift of Jesus on Christmas, but isn't it even more to celebrate God's gift of LIFE through the gift of salvation.  They are both free to us to receive, but Jesus had to sacrifice something both times.  One, he had to leave heaven and his place in heaven as king to come to Earth as a baby.  Two, he had to take our ugly sin and the wage of it on his perfect sinless body and be punished for our sin having his own Father turn away and then he would die.  I must move on, even though I don't want too.

Other Holidays that were celebrate at our house would include:  New Years Eve, St.Patrick's Day,  Fourth of July and Halloween.  Of all those I probably celebrate St.Patrick's day the most.  My wife and I have made it a tradition to celebrate it all the time we have been married.  Our anniversary is near it in March.  We always try to find a parade, OH Yeah I almost forgot....Thanksgiving Day Parade was always watched too!!  (On Thanksgiving of course.)  The Fourth of July has always meant something to me, being in Boy Scouts probably gave me reasons.  We would always watch fireworks and sometimes go to the carnival.  One year, at the carnival,  my brother got lost and we had to get the police to help us find him.  He was okay and just a little shaken up.  My parents were very worried though.  I enjoyed those summer nights around the 4th so much.  Those were the days I wish I could relive sometimes.  Maybe as my son gets older I will.  Halloween was not a big deal, but we would just dress up in something quick and do some "Trick or Treat"-ing.  I don't even recognize it as a holiday now.  Some people may disagree, but I don't.  My mom always had decorations up for these holidays and on New Years Eve we would stay up all night just to watch the ball drop.  As I got older, high school years, I would go to the church and we would have a worship service and then we had communion and prayed the New Year in. 

I think it is good to celebrate the holidays.  I don't think there is much more to say about the holidays.  My next post about "Growing up" will probably be my last on the subject.  I will probably write about my teenage years up to the time of meeting my wife. 

By the way, tomorrow is the first day of Autumn.  One of my favorite seasons.