Since tomorrow is one of my favorite holidays, I thought I’d share a holiday-themed “Top Five” list!

• Christmas–Shocking, right? If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you know that this is my very favorite of the holidays….an over-the-top birthday party for Jesus! From Advent through Epiphany, the celebration doesn’t stop. Extra time at church, fun family traditions, special music and movies, commemoration days to celebrate, decorations, gift-giving, cooking and baking galore…what’s not to love?
• Easter–Easter is the highlight of the church year, and that’s why I love it so much…all the time spent at church, especially during Holy Week, and Easter Sunday itself. I know there was a time we didn’t get to go to two church services, plus enjoy breakfast at church on Easter, but I really can’t remember it, and I don’t want it any other way. Plus, there’s a special family dinner to cap it all off!
• St. Patrick’s Day–I’m not even Irish, but I love this holiday. I love that its roots come from church tradition, I love decorating in green and shamrocks, I love our special family traditions that we enjoy on this day every year (including school traditions), and I love the special foods we eat on this holiday.
• Thanksgiving–This is a holiday that’s a lot of work for one day, but we’ve still built so many special family traditions around it that I can’t help but love it. From our “Thankful Tree” and special school unit throughout November, to the seven pies I bake every Thanksgiving Eve, to the pie for breakfast the day after Thanksgiving, plus the Christmas Lego building, turkey soup making, and town tree-lighting that same day…it’s just a fantastically fun family day(s)!
• Independence Day–And, finally, the holiday that inspired this post…the birthday of our country! I love the patriotic songs (the Fourth of July and Christmas always mean time for the Boston Pops Orchestra!), the red, white, & blue everywhere, the parades and fireworks, and, again, the special foods I make for our family’s celebration. Oh, and the watching of Holiday Inn (firecracker dance, anyone?), and Yankee Doodle Dandy every year on the fourth…it’s so much fun!

What are your family’s favorite holidays?