Great story. Holiday traditions are a powerful thing. Ours was always focused around the tree. Going to the tree lot, checking every tree out, watching the Master Negotiator (my Dad) close the deal, getting it home, waiting the obligatory two days for it to "acclimate" before we could decorate it (never understood that part), and then dragging all the decorations from the attic and seeing which boxes survived the eleven months of being trampled during hide and seek. Next we would check in with the Decorating Committee. This one person committee. consisting of my Mom, had complete veto power over every single step of the process. In the end though it was always the most amazing site in our home. Ah yes, the lights, the tinsel, the yelling, the broken decorations, the love, the togetherness and the joys of family holiday traditions. Happy Holidays!