I don't get much about religous holidays. It's not celebrated in my family. We didn't fast, we didn't participate in the eid... and the feasts following was just a holiday. But when I was a kid, I was always annoyed that other kids got good pocket money in the ending holiday of Ramadan. It's a tradition. You visit your elders -your parents included even in the same house- kiss their hand, put on your forehead -it is a common gesture too- and you get money. You also get new set of garments for those visits head to toe. You eat candy, chocolate and every kind of stuff which usually you are not supposed to...etc. I was not into that sweet snack thing and got the garments but the money part was annoying. And I couldn't get why my mother was so strictly against it at that age, LOL. How right she was. Yeah, I do love her.
But New Year's Eve has always been so much fun. Dad got us a small pine tree in a big pot when we were around, I dunno, 8 and 6? And that little tree got bigger and bigger getting decorated every year since we were old enough to spend the night out. Then it got planted outside in the garden.
When we got around to 16, New Year's dinner was a big deal because we were allowed to drink wine. LOL We have stopped getting presents around that I guess.
But you know what I remember so fondly from kid period? Besides toys and stuff, my father would buy a big set of coloured pencils and a whole pack of papers almost every year and we would play with that untill we pass out. A few of my fave toys are from those days too. (Legos, a train set, walkie talkies...etc.)
After a lot of years with no decoration and all, I think because a lot of cheap politics went around it -why do people decorate trees in a 'muslim' country- when it was something nobody cared about before, I got a small plastic tree several years ago and I'm decorating it every year now. It's cheap, has tacky little decorations bulbs and stuff. It's cute.
