I’m a stickler for traditions, especially around the holidays.  When it comes to Christmas, I think I get more excited than most kids do! There are numerous traditions throughout the year, but have you ever noticed that most of them involve alcohol?  When we’re celebrating important moments in life – birthdays, engagements, promotions, weddings – we raise our glasses acknowledgment.

Many of our traditions are centered around the holiday season.  I personally have a bunch of holiday traditions that always give me that warm, fuzzy feeling.  I have always loved everything about Christmas – the lights, decorations, baking, shopping, you name it, I love it!  I got that from my dad.  He was always like the real-life Clark Griswold.  Every year, he went all out for Christmas.  The two of us always had the best time decorating our Christmas tree.  We would decorate it together, sometimes my mom or my brothers would help, too, but my dad & I never missed a year.  It was so much fun listening to Christmas music and talking about the memories of Christmases past as we hung the decorations that had been collected over the years.  Each one had a story of its own.

I still enjoy decorating the tree, but now, as an adult, the tradition has changed a bit.  It includes drinking spiced wine (either the Spiced Red Wine from Paradocx or Mad Anthony’s Chase from Auburn Road) or something spiked (egg nog or cider).

Another holiday tradition is the champagne, or sparkling wine, toast at midnight on New Year’s Eve.  But, again, why is it that alcohol is such a big part of our traditional celebrations?  For starters, wine, spirits, and beer bring pleasure to a gathering of friends/family.  It lifts the spirits (pun intended), and when you’re happy, you’re also healthier.  That is why the most common toast of all is “to your health”.

This holiday season, while you are surrounded by family and friends, raise a glass to their health and remember how lucky you are to have them in your life.  After all, I believe that the reason we enjoy traditions so much is because they involve being together with those we love.

Cheers and Happy Holidays!