Toast to opening day

Welcome spirits! Today is the opening day of the holiday season, which we start by remembering lost loved ones (a stout, fine port, and black coffee) and finish by toasting to new beginnings (champagne). Unless you extend the season by celebrating Burns Night (single malt whiskey), which includes toasting a dead poet, or even Valentine’s Day, which celebrates true lust (Strawberry Hill vin rose). I generally consider Burns night to be the culmination of holiday season. It's more fun than Christmas (eggnog with rum and nutmeg) with no gift stress.

So: the season of gratitude is upon us. And in gratitude, we enter the season of sharing—not out of guilt, but out of a recognition that we belong to a larger family, even if we don’t know everybody’s name or speak each other’s languages—linguistically or emotionally. Recognizing that anything we can do to help a cousin, no matter how distant, helps all of us. That sounds pretty self serving, but don’t let guilt about selfishness stop you from contributing time and treasure in aid of people who could really use some help right now.

Tonight we—those of us who understand All Hallows Eve as a day of remembrance--remember those who have gone before, those whom we loved or hated, those who fed us or abandoned us, even those were completely ignorant of our existences. I’m not sure I can go so far as to say we owe those blank spaces on the family tree anything, beyond acknowledging that we literally wouldn’t exist without them. More toasts! (old vine zinfandel or cider)*

Man oh man, I’m getting out into the weeds on this one. Really, all I started out wanting to do is post pictures of watercolor pumpkins. I shall move on to that (coffee with lots of cream and a splash of bourbon). But seeing how this post went, I would rather give them a less complicated post of their own. 

*I'm not much of a drinker. I consider alcohol to be more of a ritual drink the way green bean casserole is a ritual food: to be enjoyed on specific occasions**, and forgotten about most of the rest of the time. In case anyone was wondering.

**(Noted on All Saints Day:) And apparently to be forgotten even on the ritual days. Last night we had leftovers and water. Not a bottle of port or stout to be seen (And while we're at it, no trick-or-treaters either. Thanks, COVID!), and by the time we finally got to eat, coffee was out of the question. However, we are still in Allhallowtide, so perhaps tonight a deep red wine with beef bourguingon, sautéed green beans and carrots, steamed broccoli, roasted purple potatoes...finished with a couple of squares of fine dark chocolate. And of course, remembrance of loved ones who have passed on.