Festibond, the annual Danler holiday we started several years ago, has been a very rewarding and wonderful tradition for our family. Each year we choose a day at the end of December to celebrate Festibond. In the two weeks leading up to Festibond Brent and I have one-on-one dates with each of the girls and with each other. It is a valuable part of our bonding with each other, and I absolutely look forward to them.

This year we decided on December 29 for our Festibond. We always start out the day going out to eat for breakfast. Brent suggested The Good Table Restaurant in Cape Elizabeth this time. We wanted a place with good food and a nice atmosphere in which we could sit and talk without distractions. It was fun to be entertained by the girls and their singing and jokes as we drove up to Cape Elizabeth. The food was alright, but not amazing. However, when we all tried Hayley’s cinnamon bun we agreed that it was very good; each of the girls ordered one to take home. I enjoyed sitting with Brent and the girls around the table, talking, laughing, and discussing ideas and plans for the future.

Breakfast at The Good Table

The girls and me

2012 was the sixth year we did “Festibond.” It’s the annual celebration in which our singular purpose is to strengthen the bonds that hold our family together and make it great. It’s a collection of traditions including dates, letters, hugs, snacks, games, and breakfast. In 2007, the first year we had Festibond, it was an alternative to Christmas, a holiday I find incredibly silly. It’s no longer a replacement holiday; Festibond is entirely its own thing, and Christmas is something other people do.

Saturday, December 29, was the day this year that worked best with all of our schedules. In the weeks prior, we drafted our letters to each other and planned and went on dates. I took Skye to a Portland Pirates hockey game, Jenna bowling, Hayley to a movie, and Kirsten and I, who don’t normally go out as part of Festibond, went to dinner and watched a movie.

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I always look forward to Festibond, and the preparations add to my excitement. My sisters and I baked goodies with mom, and we all spent time writing thoughtful letters to each other. I used the thesaurus a lot for my letters, not wanting to use many boring and overused words. I discovered some new words such as “hankering” and “gratify.” I enjoyed expanding my vocabulary while writing my letters.

Family Photo for Festibond of 2011

I absolutely love our annual Festibond family tradition. Nothing generates closeness, love, and enjoyment like this holiday we created a few years ago.

In preparation for Festibond, I did some baking with the girls. Each of them picked a treat they liked, and I baked with them each individually. Of course we also spent a lot of time writing our special Festibond letters to each other.

Sweethearts in love!

It’s been five years since we stopped celebrating Christmas and made up our own tradition: Festibond. While our Festibond activies have evolved over the years–we didn’t give each other gifts this year–we have kept true to the intent: maximize family bonds through quality time, letters of affection and lots of hugs. Festibond 2011 has been all that and more.

Yesterday morning we started Festibond at Cracker Barrel in South Portland. It was less than awesome, but we enjoyed being together. After breakfast I finished writing my letter to Kirsten while she and the girls made final preparations of the bounty of tasty snacks.

Skye and Kirsten share a hug

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Yesterday was Festibond. Festibond is a tradition where the family gets together to play games, read letters to each other, and have a big family breakfast.

First we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. I got the cinnamon streusel. We had a lot of plates but our table was small, it was loud, and some of the food was disgusting. We decided not to go there next year for Festibond.

Breakfast at Cracker Barrel

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Festibond is our family tradition that we invented last year. I love it. It is wonderful to see the girls thinking and caring about others, and being excited to spend time together as a family.

We went to breakfast at our favorite breakfast place, Eggspectation. It the past the girls always ordered chocolate chip pancakes, but Skye’s and Jenna’s tastes have matured to scrambled eggs and some form of pork. Despite the many beverage choices of milk, chocolate milk, hot chocolate, and various juices, the girls all ordered water to drink. As Hayley would say, “water’s healfy.”

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To the person who this week said to me of us not celebrating Christmas, “that’s too bad”, I give you Festibond 2008.

Festibond 2007

Today we celebrated Festibond. There’s nothing important or significant about the day we selected other than it was convenient for us. It has been one of my best days of the year. The value of Festibond to our family is immeasurable.

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I like St. Patrick’s Day because it’s a time to drink beer, pinch people and have a parade. I don’t like most holidays because they’re all about food and getting stuff. Aren’t we fat enough already? And don’t we have enough crap stuffed inside our about-to-be-foreclosed McMansions?

Seriously, the traditions of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Valentine’s Day and wedding anniversaries are for stupid people and invented by marketers. I’d rather not.

Does that make me a curmudgeon? Getting together with family is wonderful. So is football. But I could do without the feast.