What Are We All Doing?
Who's in the holiday mood?
Two years ago, I spent December writing about the month’s holiday celebrations around the world.
2021 holidays:
Our Lady of Guadalupe and her cookie recipe
(The dancing tree that got us through a COVID Christmas)
Last year was all about the excitement of finally, after two years, throwing the family's annual Christmas party.
2022 holiday:
Invitations go out and planning begins!
Trying to remember how I used to cook for all these people!
Reality rears its virus head :(
A wonderful series of recipes for the invalids around your Christmas table ;( ;( ;( ;(
What will happen this year with the world in such sad shape? Hanukkah is next Thursday, and the nearby Hasidic community should have erected the giant menorah in the park by now. A police car has been stationed outside the local synagogue since October 7, and on Friday nights there’s the addition of two policemen at its doors. The mosques are guarded, as well. The heavy sense of unease permeates the shops and restaurants along my Middle Eastern shopping blocks. The Hispanic congregation of the Catholic parish by us is scaling back its usual party and, instead, is holding a prayer vigil. I don’t know what will happen with the other holidays, but I can’t imagine they won’t pass without more prayers than usual taking place.
As for my family, I’m going to try once again to kick-start our party. It should be our 40th but, instead, it will be the 36th. Even though there will be fewer guests, I am, just like last year, not so sure I can pull it off, given that my crowd cooking skills are rusty and three years of barely socializing has fed right into my antisocial tendencies. I groused about this to my sister, and after the usual family response to stop whining and buck up, she assured me that my cooking/hosting muscles will kick in about four days before the party and she’ll come up to help. She’ll make a pâté. Her pep-talk did, indeed, relax me, but then, if you read the first 2022 story, you will gather that four days before the party is beyond too late to be adequately prepared for the onslaught, and thus the party will be a colossal mess.
And yet…all our guests are safe and well, and all their family members, too. They tell me they are ecstatic the party is taking place again—a small sign of normalcy returning. But they are neck deep in worrying about all the ways things near and far from us could get worse next year. In other words, I don’t expect the party will be as gay as it was four years ago.
But then again….no matter what their cultural background or religious tenets each of the six December holidays proclaim victory over gloom. They are our expression of hopefulness that the chaotic earth and its muddled inhabitants will emerge from darkness into light.
What a great piece of advice, Tricia! With each passing party I've tried to be like your mom! This year I have the feeling I'll succeed. Thank you for your vote of confidence and YEAH! make those cookies!
I’m making these cookies! As for cooking for a crowd - I pass on my mother’s philosophy on feeding people - “It’s only food. If it doesn’t work out there’s always scrambled eggs”. She was an amazing cook and a high stress person but this she had down. Thanks Pat - love your posts.