6. Christmas in the Park

(It's less than a week into this project and I already missed a day! In my defense, yesterday was a long back-to-back day...)

Darrell and I visited Christmas in the Park yesterday, an old downtown San Jose tradition full of decorated trees and animated booths. I remember going a few times as a little kid, and there's even pictures of my siblings and me in those stick-your-face-in-the-hole displays. It wasn't an annual thing, but it's part of our memories. Years later, we frequented the park as returning college students looking for something to do. One year, we went on the closing day, when the decorations were gone from the trees and most of the lights were off. We ran into some workers from the carnival rides and booths who wished us Happy Holidays with free caramel apples (because they wouldn't be able to sell them after).

Last year was supposed to be the tradition's last year, with funding losses and whatever else the bad economy or changing interests brings. But somehow they made it happen again, and perhaps its potential disappearance made me grateful it was there. Grateful enough to throw coins at a reindeer display collecting donations (it wished me a Merry Christmas when I made it into its mouth!), smile at the high school volunteers, and read the signs of the foundations, charities, and local organizations that decorated the trees in the community forest.

Not to say that Christmas is all about the lights and snowflakes, but I have to admit that one of my favorite things about the holidays is the atmosphere. But where can you find it, really? I guess you could find a street with as many lit and decorated houses as possible. Or a street of shops and stores lined with trees covered in Christmas lights. Other than that, my only other guess is the big trees and giant ornaments in the mall, which is also the last place I want to be spending my Christmas. Thus I am grateful for public displays (even the Macy's tree in union square, I suppose), and for Christmas in the Park, filled with families and friends, old school Christmas symbols, holiday songs, and the scent of real Christmas trees.