The holidays have arrived and are all around us. We’ve waited patiently for them, and now that they are finally here we try to hold on to them for as long as we can. The decorations have been up since the beginning of November, the music has been playing since right after Halloween (well for me it has anyway) and yet we still can’t seem to get enough.What is it about the holidays that makes us so jolly? Is it the music and decorations? Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby crooning their way into our holiday hearts? The tiny lights dancing off trees? No, not quite. Is it the quality time spent with family and friends? The ones you love all around you as you enjoy the season of giving and thanks? It sure is lovely but no, not that either. Oh well, for sure it’s all the wonderful presents we give and receive, right? A certain red suited gentleman sliding down chimneys delivering gifts and the look on our loved one’s faces as they tear apart the paper and reveal the perfect gift? No, no, not at all. I know! It’s all the good food and special treats that are made during the holidays, isn’t it? The time spent in the kitchen making those delicious sweets that only come out during this time of year?
In reality, its a combination of everything. For each of these traditions is what makes this time of year so special. Sure, treats help out a lot. One treat in particular calls out to me that can only be described as such; rich, velvety and smooth. Delightfully sinful, and yet it’s only around for the winter. The rest of the year it leaves us high and dry. Cold, yearning for it’s delectable sweetness. With the magical powers to turn dreary, sad and lonely, into happy, excited and delighted.
With each passing day in December, we grow more and more excited about the holidays. As they approach, the anticipation starts to get the best of us. “Can I open just one little ol’ present? Just one, please!” was the anthem to my childhood in december. The thought of wonderful food, happy memories, candid photographs, and presents creates a warm fuzzy feeling inside us. Whichever holiday you might celebrate, whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, Winter Solstice, New Year’s Eve, or even New Year’s day, you might have certain traditions for each specific holiday. Ones that you and your family never fail to do. Certain foods you eat, movies you watch and music you listen to, take center stage on that day. Whatever the case might be, one treat stands from the crowd and is present and accounted for in each holiday. It’s versatile, and an equal opportunity holiday celebrator. It knows no boundaries of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender. It doesn’t matter what holiday you celebrate, just as long as it can celebrate with you. What is this wonderfully delicious treat I speak so highly of? Well, its eggnog of course. A winter tradition that is only made merrier with a healthy dousing of rum. Or brandy. Or Whisky. Or dare I say it? All three. Perhaps it isn’t the food, memories, photographs, movies, and presents that cause the warm fuzzy feeling inside. In fact I don’t believe any of those things do. It must be the liquor, because we all know liquor makes people happy. It makes crazy Aunt Sue, even crazier. Grandpa Bill less paranoid and you a little looser. As for me, I don’t care whether it has rum, brandy or whisky. Just make sure it has plenty of it, and that it’s heavily doused with cinnamon.
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