Something I've always really loved and appreciated about my mom is her love of, and commitment to, holiday magic. To this day my mother will not admit she was ever Santa or the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy. She has never conceded. Santa is REAL. I love it.

My mom fostered my love of stories and history and mythology by reading to us every single night. Always magic and myths and epic tales. At Halloween she went ALL OUT - decorations, pumpkins, and all the stories and legends and myths she could find.

At christmas we learned everything about Santa and his origins - every individual story about him, and every story LIKE the story of santa from around the world. never said thy were the same person or character, but that a benevolent bringer of joy was a universal need

Santa was a person, a saint, an elf or faery himself, odin, the spirit of the north, a man of the forest, even Santa and his Ol' Lady because my mom has smoked more weed already than I could ever come close to for the rest of my life lol

The entire month of october was halloween. We went for regular rides through different neighbourhoods looking at decorated houses and listening to spooky music with hot chocolate. We told scary ghost stories. We watched EVERY Halloween special. We carved ALL the pumpkins

Every pumpkin patch or hay bale or haunted house was full of Halloween magic.

She did this for every holiday - easter! we didn't even go to church! St Patrick's Day was HUGE we made green treats and wore green and watched movies about Irish legends and faeries and ghosts. Valentine's day was massive and ALWAYS gave out valentines.

She had outfits and brooches for all of these holidays. Special treat recipes. Dinners we'd have. MARDI GRAS? Mardi Gras was pancake tuesday RELIGIOUSLY. When I learned about Chaunukah and latkes at school one year we sat and talked about it for hours. THE STORY!!!!!!

I always think of her around Halloween and Christmas and every holiday really. Holidays with my family as a child are the most magical and creative memories I have, all because of her. I haven't talked to her in a couple years now, but I always want to call her around now.

If you're a parent, I hope you do this stuff for your kids. Even if you can't do presents and candy, just tell stories, make art and decorations, wear funny outfits, indulge in superstitions and magic for a special day. I know it seems like a lot, but you'll NEVER regret it