[quote name='BlueWingX']Thanksgiving - It seems that as I've gotten older, it's become too difficult to get the family together for a nice Thanksgiving meal. Last year, we didn't even cook a full turkey, just a turkey breast in some gravy. I'll always remember when I was a kid, sitting out on my swing set on Thanksgiving day (After the parade, of course), and smelling the turkeys cooking through the whole neighborhood. And, of course, it was also the day I beat Wizards and Warriors for the first time, just in time for dinner. It's become my own personal tradition to beat the game every Thanksgiving.
Christmas - You can never really recapture the feel of a childhood Christmas. That overwhelming urge to get to sleep so that Santa would come just a little sooner. The amazement of coming out to the tree in the morning and seeing presents that weren't there in the morning. My mom would always try to make something special, like a treasure hunt for my first bike. Then, after a small Christmas breakfast, everyone but me would lie down for a nap, and I'd have the house to myself to enjoy my Christmas swag. Sometimes it didn't work out so well, like the year I broke my new Inspector Gadget figure within a few hours.
I miss enjoying the holidays...[/QUOTE]
You know, I'm with you. The holidays aren't the same when you get older. But, I've found that you actually can still have some of the holiday magic, if your willing to work for it (and no, I'm not saying to go out and volunteer, though it's nice if you want to).
Like, for Christmas, one of the magical things for me was always getting that new toy (or video game) that I wanted all year. That's what made that Christmas anticipation great. So, now, I do the same thing. So, for instance, I want FFXII. I've been looking forward to it for awhile now. I picked it up today in one of the deals for a good price. Instead of playing it now, I'm waiting for Christmas (my parents send me money to buy gifts anyway, so I'll just consider this from them). That way, Christmas will be special. It won't be the surprise, but the anticipation of being able to play the game helps keep some of the magic. It isn't the same, but it's as close as you can get in your 20's.
Thanksgiving is the same as other holidays. Sometimes, like you do, you have to have a personal tradition. Mine, every year I watch the parade, and it's the first time of the year that I have egg nog (love the stuff). I also only have it from Thanksgiving to New Years, then I finish off the carton I have, and it's waiting for Thanksgivng.
The big thing is that you have to have the willpower to wait for stuff. You can't half-ass it either. You have to hold to your traditions rock solid, even when it hurts a bit, because the payoffs are worth it.
I think holidays is one of the few things you can try to hold on to from childhood, at least to some degree.