I get this feeling when the plane starts its descent into Dublin Airport. That's when it really hits me - I'm not the kid from Naas anymore, I'm the returning emigrant I used to watch on TV every Christmas. Wild how life works out like that.
Growing up in Ireland, Christmas was pure magic. Not the snow-covered wonderland you see in American movies - December in Ireland is more about that bone-chilling damp that seeps right through your coat. But there was something special about it all the same.
I used to work in Dublin city centre, and Christmas Eve was the best craic. They'd let us out early from the office after drinking hot chocolate and opening presents, and the whole town would be buzzing with last-minute panic shoppers. And then there was Pete, who always planned to leave his shopping to Christmas Eve and bought them all in Eason’s bookshop. The department store windows were works of art - I'd always stop at Clerys, even if I was running late, just to take it all in.
The pubs, though - that's where the real Christmas spirit lived. Warm and snug, with everyone you knew packed in there for "just one" that would inevitably turn into several. The weeks before Christmas were this blur of office parties and catch-ups, everyone trying to squeeze in one more night before heading home down the country.
Here's the thing that gets me now: I used to watch the RTE news every Christmas, and they'd always have these segments from the airport. The reporter would be standing there, microphone in hand: "And who are you, coming in from where?" They'd find someone like "Eileen O’Brien from Galway, just in from Chicago, haven't been home in six years, can't wait to see my niece." I'd watch those interviews, never thinking I'd end up being that person myself.
These days, I'm the one making that journey across the ocean, though not this year. Traveling is easier now than it was in those days, and I get to visit Ireland more often. They don’t interview people at the airport anymore, but they do have a choir singing, if you hit the right day.
But here's what I've learned: home isn't just one place anymore. This Christmas, we'll be creating our own magic in Seattle, mixing a bit of that Irish dampness (we've got plenty of that here) with our new traditions.
So, here's to wherever you're spending your Holidays this year. Whether you're the one making the journey or the one waiting at home, whether you're carrying on old traditions or making new ones, I hope your holiday season is filled with warmth and laughter, and I wish you all a healthy and happy new year.
Nollaig Shona,
Michael
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