Of course, it’s still December and there are just so many things for us to do in this season. One can argue that it’s everyone’s favorite season of the year, considering how it’s loaded with holidays. It’s also that one time of the year that if you choose not to work, everyone will understand and even encourage you not to do more than necessary.
For a month that has only 31 days, there sure is so much to be done and so many things to be accomplished. If we’re gonna make this season as memorable as we want it to be, we’d have to be willing to step out of our shell for a bit and actually enjoy many of the goodies the season has to offer. If not, December will go and January will barrel in, and we’ll still find ourselves doing the exact same thing. Which is boring!!!
In my family, we definitely have traditions that we follow as well, but from the look of things, I’m beginning to suspect that I might not be able to follow that tradition this year. Unless of course, everyone comes down here to the east. But considering our numbers, and the high cost of traveling, I don’t think that’ll be happening.
Normally, around this time of the year, one of the things we’d always do is decorate the house for the season. And usually, we go all out. We use flowers, ribbons and balloons, stickers, and even Christmas trees. I’m usually in charge of this, and I give it my best. Last two years, we couldn’t get a Christmas tree, so I had to fashion one out of a flower vase and its stand.
And then, don’t forget all the lights I had to string all around the house as well. Lighting it up like fireworks. At night, it’s always a glorious sight, watching the different colors come to life. But then, all this is only for aesthetics, there are still other traditions.
December is always a time of full houses! Whether we’re spending it in Lagos or not. My married siblings will come with their family to our house and it’ll be a jolly time. We’ll eat, talk and drink. When everyone is under the same roof, it’s always a happy moment and there’s little to be sad about. On other days, we gather at either the house of my brother, or my sister. And the fun continues.
We don’t really go out much during the festive season, and this is because it can be frustrating. You see, that December 25th you plan to have your fun by either going to a restaurant or amusement park, around a million other people want to go to those places on that day as well. This causes the place to be jampacked with people and it’s just stressful. You could go to a restaurant and they’ll be out of space for you, yet they’ll still serve you food. You’ll either stand and eat it, or sit on the floor or bench. Someone once told me how he and his girlfriend had to sit on a fence to eat because there were no chairs available.
I see all this as pointless suffering. Which is why I choose to spend it with family. I can go out on other days, but definitely not on those specific days.
Another thing I do (a personal tradition) is to visit my friends during this period. Years ago, my friends and I used to go to the houses of most of our adult friends in the church. It was always fun. We could spend the entire day just moving through houses, always on full bellies. And by the time we get home, we might not be able to eat food our family prepared.
But all that was in the past. Now, I just visit my friends because it’s a good time to do so. If not now, then it may be never because many of them don’t even stay around. Now, that I’m pretty certain I’ll spend my December in the east, I’ll have to pay a couple of cousins visits and also my favorite aunt. It’s been too long since I saw her and it’s just not good.
So many things about this year will be different, but I’m looking forward to everything it has to offer. I just hope that in the end, by the time we cross into the new year, things will be on a lighter note and we’ll enter the new year in a better place than we’re ending this present one. I guess that’s all we can hope for.
