A Single’s Holidays

As a single person my holiday traditions became much less complicated, especially when living across the country from the rest of the family as I did in Charlotte.

Yes, I still shopped for Christmas presents, but on a much smaller scale, and had them wrapped and mailed shortly after Thanksgiving. (Even now, I generally have presents bought before turkey day – just not wrapped, yet. I can’t find the wrapping paper.) I still sent out some cards, but only to those far away. I still do that.

And, no, I often didn’t bake a single cookie, especially after discovering that I could buy my favorite ginger snap cookies at the World Market. Of course, I had to hide those from myself. While I worked at the newspaper, I did bake some to bring to work, and those were safe. Not a one came back home with me. On the other hand, the newsroom was full of food for a week before Christmas. Who NEEDED to eat more than that? Not I. Not that it stopped me.
I no longer had to cook big dinners. One Christmas Day, my last in Charlotte, I opted for Chinese food, at a huge Asian buffet just around the corner. The restaurant was packed!

The biggest, and most satisfying, change of all was volunteering to help cook and serve Thanksgiving and Christmas meals at local churches.

On New Year’s Eve, at least while I still lived in San Jose, I went to a no-alcohol, potluck party that briefly, through small groups, looked to the past and the present, but spent the rest of the evening planning the next year of our lives. That party always ended with a singing of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, and warm hugs for all.