Great Big Christmas

Growing up, Christmas was never a big deal for my family. We did everything that was expected of an American family, but only just.

Once a year, we’d climb into the attic and dust off our fake Christmas tree, pull out the ornaments buried in the closet, set up a handful of rainbow lights out front (or just hang a wreath on the door if we were lazy), and throw a couple presents under the tree. We didn’t cook a traditional Christmas dinner, and my parents never bothered convincing us that Santa could ever fit in our chimney.

Not to say I didn’t love the holidays- nothing beats lounging and laughing with loved ones. Not to mention, it was the one-time each year that I could shamelessly ask for a new video game. That’s honestly all I ever wanted as a kid. It’s how I finally got my Nintendo 64 console and why I sunk far too many hours into Rollercoaster Tycoon 3.

But this year, I spent Christmas with Bridget’s family.

There were ample decorations inside and outside the house, a real Christmas tree, stockings hung over the chimney, holiday music filling the hallways, multiple fireplaces warming our toes, and more presents than I’d ever seen in my life. We actually shared our Christmas lists in a Google Doc in November, and there were so many presents that we needed a gift-wrapping party to prep them all. We huddled into the family van to drive around the neighborhood and enjoy the lights. Even The Night Before Christmas, complete with pop-ups galore, was read to us in a dizzying array of English and Scottish accents. And, of course, we stuffed ourselves with delicious eats and sweets, some homemade and others gifted from friends far and wide. It was truly a Great Big Christmas, and this tweetstorm captures my awe perfectly.