The Voices of Reason: Favorite Holidays

The Voices of Reason: Favorite Holidays
by Various Authors

Maybe you love to deck the halls or maybe you're more the "Bah, humbug!" type. Either way, there has to be at least ONE holiday you enjoy. That was the task put forth before the Voices this week.

Question: What's your favorite holiday, and why?

Mark May—A simple question. A simple answer. My favorite holiday is Christmas. Why would a nice Jewish boy like Christmas so much? It means that my entire family will be together—Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews. It's the only time of year we can be assured of being together since we live across three time zones.

But at Christmas time, everyone migrates back to Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The house smells of Mom's cooking and cut pine boughs and Dad's pipe smoke. Kids and toys and noise are everywhere. If the weather is good enough, we'll organize a football game (though with little kids around, a few plays are enough to constitute a "game"). Or we'll take the kids over to the park to feed the ducks. This is also the only time of year when I get to enjoy a home-cooked meal from Mom. I am very lucky to have a family where we all get along well and I always look forward to seeing them.

Dileep Rao—This is such a tricky question. First, let's dismiss the Hallmark holidays—the one's we get people cards for (or not) and don't really celebrate. Okay, that leaves just a few. Thanksgiving for me is all a family and tension thing—nice, but has weird issues. I do like our Indian version of all the food and the American spread is amazing. But not a fave. Christmas isn't my holiday at all and it's nice as a season, but Jesus, the marketing, pressure for the Christians or pseudo-Christians or those who haven't signed up for any other religion but have some Christianity in their background. Yuck. Maybe I like that one because, in my quasi Hindu household, we are allowed (perhaps required) to half-ass Christmas.

Okay, I have my answer. It's a tie. I love New Year's because it's festive and there's a sense of a new start. Also, it's like the end of a long, tough slog through the holidays. It's mostly sans family pressure. I also love the 4th of July. I love America, Republicans and all. I think the Constitution is one of the most amazing human documents. I love the diversity of this wide, great silly place where freedom occasionally has reigned. I like the goofiness of having twice beaten the British by arms and once (sub continent) by humiliation. And I still love the British. But not as rulers. I love the fourth, and I love New Years. Probably because they're not too close to each other.

Ian Wigley—We only celebrate Christmas, Easter and New Year's over here in England. None of these ring my bells very much. If I could class Halloween as a holiday, it'd be my big deal...outside that, Thanksgiving is my favorite, because they show two ball games on Sky over here in England on a Thursday in November...and one of these is a Cowboys game (although being a Browns fan, I couldn't care too much).

Vance Macdonald—In theory, Independence Day would be among my favorite holidays, given how important freedom is to all of us. But in practice, July 4th seems less about freedom than just BBQ and fireworks. Now, both BBQs and fireworks are very good things, but doesn't it seem like a holiday celebrating freedom should involve all kinds of crazy rituals demonstrating said freedom? Everything from Mardi Gras-like debauchery to "coming out" ceremonies (and by coming out, I am referring to any declaration of independence: "Look Ma, I'm a LARP-playing, goth, bod-mod freak and you need to love me for who I am!"). And in a more serious vein, perhaps we could have vigils in support of the many populations around the world who do not enjoy as much freedom as they desire.

Ironically, I am choosing as my favorite holiday the anti-independence day: my wedding anniversary. No other day has changed my life more, and celebrating it reminds me of the infinite ways my life has improved since I began sharing it with my wife.

MIke Daniels—Back to the Voices of Reason after a brief hiatus. I'd have to say Christmas is my favorite holiday because of decorating the house with lights. This year we have even lights going across the street. It would even be better if we lived in an area with snow.

Martell—Anyone who knows even a little bit about me knows that Halloween is my favorite holiday. And no, it's not just because I got to see Boingo's last concert on Halloween 1995 (there, are you happy Vance?). It's because the best parties I've been to all involve people letting loose and enjoying themselves. And I've found that people tend to have an easier time letting loose when they're dressed up like somebody they're not. Or someone they wish they were.

To submit a topic for The Voices of Reason, or to be added to the VoR Shout Out List, send an e-mail to martell@babblog.com.