"The Holidays" and the Christmas Season

Have you noticed that advertisers and the media have renamed everything that takes place this time of year?  Holiday music?  A holiday tree?  Holiday shopping?  The retail industry, the auto industry, the electronics industry?  Have you noticed that what used to be Christmas specials on television are now holiday specials?  What's next?  "How the Grinch Stole the Holidays?"  "A Charlie Brown Holiday?"  Clement Moore's "The Night Before the Holiday?"  Charles Dickens' "A Holiday Carol?" In the 21st century, the time between Labor Day and Christmas Day is unaffectionately and coldly labeled 'The Holidays.'  No worries, though.  July is coming, and all of the above controllers of what business is will get their way this summer, and we'll be celebrating 'Christmas in July!' The music will play, and the movies will be broadcast, and the cars will be sold.  I believe it's okay to use the term Christmas if the sellers and the squeaky wheels want us to.  So, in July, bring it on...Christmas in July!  One year in the not-so-distant future, after Christmas in July is over, 'The Holidays' and all the bland generalizing will begin on August 1st, and we'll be celebrating them all year long....and even Christmas in July will disappear....

In the meantime, I'd like to savor the good times of the Christmas season by going back in time and sharing some treasures of Christmas past: some seen this year for the first time, and some favorites rediscovered.

Christmas 1922:  I found this piece of family memorabilia with my Mother's treasures. This is the front and back of a Christmas card sent to my Grandmother, Mrs. Nellie Giacchino, from her brother, Alfred Messina. It was sent in December of 1922. My understanding of Uncle Alfred's story is that he arrived at Ellis Island in the 1920's, was denied entry into the US due to illness, and passed away on the return trip to Italy. He was 25.  His mother, my great grandmother Carmela Messina passed away on Christmas Eve in 1973.  She was five months shy of her 100th birthday.

          

My mother as a young teen:

Josephine Giacchino

December 1937

My sister Lisa and me

December 1965...

My last with Santa, I'm sure (and I hope!).

Before there were Karen and Brian:  there was Son John's first Christmas in December of 1986.

Left to Right: Son Kevin, Jackie, my Dad, my Mom holding newborn Son John, and me.

Nothing says the 1980's like those huge glasses!

Before there was Brian, there were Kevin, John, and Karen in December in the early 1990's

2008: My favorite, and one of the last of the photo Christmas cards, for they've all grown and gone, though not too far...

My all-time favorite Christmas ornament and my all-time favorite car:  the 1959 Chevrolet Impala El Camino!

...and in closing, the relocating of this collage of My Favorite 2013 Memories from the head of my blog to this post, and in its place, a new composite of times celebrated in 2014... 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!