Da Holiday Mood

November is 7 days in, bringing with it my insatiable love of the holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas, the New Year-j'ai dore them all! Earlier this week I crafted a Christmas themed story writing project for my Year 9s, and they ate the challenge up eagerly.

But why is it I adore Christmas in particular so passionately?

Beyond the obvious "because it's Jesus' birthday" response, there's a multifaceted answer.

It probably all originates in the weather.

I'm a big weather person. Actually, I'm a HUGE weather fanatic, and my mood is strongly affected by the temperature. With cooler breezes and sweater-wearing temperatures, I skip around with a permanent smile pasted on my face, sort of like an insane bunny. Last week another teacher demanded to know why I was in such an insanely good mood, claiming I "look like the cat that ate the canary."

Also, the cooler weather alerts me to the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, so I spend my spare moments, or moments I should be paying attention during staff meetings, planning my sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving dinner and exactly which kinds of Christmas cookies I'll bake in December.

Baking is yet another element of my Christmas passion, because I can bake treats for people all throughout the month with no other reason than Christmas being in the near future. If I were to bring a friend along a plate of homeade chocolate fudge in August he would demand to know the occaision for such an offering, but in December no questions would be asked. Peanut butter blossoms, chocolate truffles, sugar cookies shaped like angels and frosted with buttercream icing. Mmmm. Filling my kitchen with these warms scents and then bringing them to Christmas socials and friends' places is one of the wonderful parts of Christmas. One fly in my ointment is that now that I'm living in Bdesh I don't have my littlest bro hanging around to lick the bowl for me or sample my cookies. But rather than dwell on my lack of cute siblings in this Bakerless country, I'll continue to eagerly prepare for Christmas sans family, decorating my apartment with strings of popcorn, hanging cranberry colored garlands from my walls, and putting up twinkling Christmas lights in the hall with Est (who's equally fanatical about Christmas).

With cool weather, fuzzy socks and sweaters, and sugary treats it will be a marvellously merry Christmas, minus ma Boulanger famille.