Celebrating the Holidays - Maseba Style

As you all know, we have 4 young kids that are full of the 3 "E's"- energy, eagerness and enthusiasm! As each holiday comes around, I have a tendency to celebrate much the way I was brought up:


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New Year's Day: Very Japanese-y. We make mochi for ozoni, toast with sake, and eat traditional foods that are supposed to bring happiness, a long life, and fertility (I ate too much of that in the past, I guess!)



Valentine's Day: Cute little cheap Valentines in little cheap envelopes to pass out into our friends' (and non-friends') decorated Kleenex boxes



St. Patrick's Day: The girls still continue to pinch me if I forget to wear green that day


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Easter: Dye eggs - most of which are left uneaten -and stain the kitchen table even worse each year



4th of July: Pyro-Daddy puts on a "show" while Mommy and Lindsey often hide in the car

Halloween: "2 candies a day" rule until it is confiscated by Mommy when she finds all the wrappers shoved behind their beds. One of these days, they'll move up to the big leagues when they carry pillowcases instead of plastic pumpkins



Thanksgiving: Traditional fare - along with sushi - and if we're lucky someone will make some turkey jook!


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When new friends find out that I'm not only Buddhist, but the daughter of a retired Buddhist minister, I'm sure they wonder why I celebrate holidays like Christmas and Easter. Well, I guess it's because in my mind, we celebrate them as part of the American culture as opposed to something religious - special days to show kindness, love, and gratitude for everything we have.


Happy Holidays!!!