My Winter Break

by Frannie Hogan '11 (music major)

Kris Kringle, bells that jingle, eggnog, and holiday cheer. Sounds like Christmas, right? For my family, it’s more like barking dogs, a honey-glazed hog, Larry David, and store-bought birthday cakes. You could say we’re kind of quirky.

This holiday break was spent both at home in Ohio and at my grandmother’s in southern Illinois. With most of our family making the trip to Illinois from out-of-state, we celebrated Christmas on the 26^th to accommodate work and travel schedules. It’s more important that we spend time with one another than get together on a specific day. We’re not big on “traditional” traditions – no Christmas Eve stories by the fireplace or group photos in reindeer sweaters – but some trends have emerged over time.

The days leading up to Christmas were similar to those from years past, with Granny’s 88^th birthday, the annual Christmas Eve Wal-Mart run to pick up last minute gifts for unexpected relatives, and a trip to the movies on Christmas day. While Columbus has over twenty theaters within its city limits, Lawrenceville, Illinois, has one within a thirty-mile radius. Perhaps that’s why going to the movies on Christmas day in a small town is akin to navigating a sold-out, midnight Harry Potter book release. I’ve been in both situations, and I’m not sure which is more stressful. Hoards of people, strung out on potato casserole and turkey gravy and annoyed by their abominable relatives, who swarm the local cinema and force lines out the door, or hoards of nerds, revved up on Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans and pumpkin juice, ready to “crucio” anyone who stands between them and the next series installment. After as sly family of sixteen cut in front of us in the ticket line, my aunt noted we had been taken advantage of, but she didn’t say it softly, and didn’t use euphemisms.

On the 26^th, everyone enjoyed some homemade fare. As my grandmother ages, she has begun to delegate more of the cooking to her grandchildren, and this year it was my cousin’s job to prepare the popular chocolate pudding pie. We needed spoons instead of forks to enjoy the dessert that ended up as a pool of chocolate pudding with bits of crust floating around inside, but it didn’t matter to us. It was made with love and good intentions, as well as lots of butter and sugar.

Next came presents. Highlights from the gift-giving included lotto and scratch-off tickets, a mini Jesus flashlight (a “Jesus-on-the-chain,” if you will), and a group YouTube viewing session that included such gems as “The Turtleman” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn8EQ0azXpQ) and “Worst Burglar Ever” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUGRkeynl6Q).

Returning home to Ohio, I was greeted with shipments of textbooks for the next semester. Nothing says relaxation as “Meteorology Today” does. Still, I’ve been determined to make the most out of my break; thus, I’ve made it known that anything short of a National Emergency is not a sufficient reason to wake me up before noon. So far, so good.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, but spring break isn’t too far away. I hope all your holidays were happy!