Christmas Every Which Way

---

I hope you realize we don't send cards anymore. But we enjoy receiving cards, especially family photo cards. But here are a few thoughts: Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate around the world! Joining in the festivities, Ukraine will mark its first official Christmas holiday on December 25, further distancing itself from the traditions of the Putin-aligned Russian Orthodox Church, which celebrates Christmas on January 7. Ukraine’s parliament voted over the summer to move the holiday to help Ukraine “abandon the Russian heritage of imposing the celebration of Christmas on January 7,” and help Ukrainians “live their own life with their own traditions (and) holidays.”

And just in time: The Powerball jackpot has climbed to $638 million just in time for its next drawing on Christmas night.

In the past, three Powerball jackpots have been won on Christmas, according to a news release from Powerball. The last time was 10 years ago when an individual in Missouri won $71.5 million. “This could be a very Merry Christmas for a Powerball player,” Powerball product group chair Drew Svitko said. “It’s not often we have a Powerball drawing coincide with the Christmas holiday and with a jackpot of this magnitude.”

And a bit of reality: Millions of travelers are on the roads, railways and planes on Christmas Eve in the final travel surge before 25 December. Rail passengers in particular have faced a litany of problems in the build-up to Christmas, with Storm Pia combining with staff shortage to disrupt trains within Britain. Eurostar made 30 cancellations to and from Continental Europe on Thursday, when the Channel Tunnel closed because of a strike – wrecking the plans of 25,000 passengers.

We once spent Christmas here: Santa Fe is a great place to visit any time of the year. Loved for its culture, food, and picturesque setting, the city typically hosts a number of holiday events throughout December. Annual highlights include the Santa Fe Botanical Garden's Glow light display and Christmas concerts inside the impressive Loretto Chapel leading up to December 25. You can even find winter sports at Ski Santa Fe, about 15 miles away. For a special hotel experience, book your stay at Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe, which offers a range of festive amenities, or spend the night on the historic and holiday-lit Santa Fe Plaza at La Fonda.

A good case for staying home: The annual stats from AAA are in and nearly 113 million Americans hit the road or sky during the holiday season of 2022, one of the highest numbers of travelers since 2000. That astonishing figure includes those getting around by plane, train, and automobile throughout the last two weeks of the year. Because of the prevalence of traveling over the holidays, two days before and the day after Christmas hold steady as the top worst travel days of the year, every year. (That is roughly a third of all people in the US!)

One of favorite holiday food items from childhood: A tamalada is a tamale-making bonanza in Latin American households. The tamales are the result, but the point is the gathering itself. Reflecting on her own family's tradition, Ericka Sanchez writes, "In our Mexican home, La Navidad (or “Christmas” in Spanish), isn’t La Navidad without a giant steamer on the stovetop filled to the brim with tamales. This isn’t just a one-day affair. The tamales are made during a gathering called a tamalada, an almost month-long celebration that starts on December 12th for Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe and ends on January 6th for Día de Reyes. During that time, we gather with family and friends for biblical reenactments, piñatas, midnight mass, mariachis, and of course, a lot of tamales." (Both my Uncle's ranch foreman, and my Dad's master mechanic brought tamales on Thanksgiving and Christmas. What a treat!)

I must go someday: Who says the charming small towns from your favorite holiday movies don’t exist in real life? In the historic town of Lititz, fiery performances and ice sculpting collide at the Fire and Ice Festival each February. Witness fire-breathing shows, make your way to the ice bar for a hot toddy, and enjoy dozens of dazzling, LED-lit ice sculptures displayed along the tree-lined streets in the walkable downtown area. If that’s not enough to satisfy your search for the perfect winter getaway, there’s also a chili cook-off, pub crawl, and family-friendly scavenger hunt. Entry is free, and the fun is endless, so grab your coziest coat and join the 40,000-strong crowd for a festival that’s as hot as it’s cool. (Now, I wonder what their logo might be?)

Enjoy your Christmas with family and friends, I certainly will. Oh, and a magnum of my favorite sparkling wine!

PS: We had a great celebration at my cousins' last night, with about 20 extremely happy and healthy celebrants! As for today, Go Niners, skin the ravens!

---