Thanksgiving was my favorite as a kid -parades and blanket forts! - but it's being swallowed by Christmas... I really fight not to do anything Christmasy until December (and then draw it out until january... I'm going against the tide and it's tiring :/)

I am so about small gifts now. Socks, plants, baking something or giving imported candy. A book if you really want to go big. And not a lot of gifts. I find it so meaningful. I'm personally against giving electronics at christmas. They have no warmth to them! Plus they go obsolete so soon. For a birthday it's okay I guess, if you explicitly ask for it. It's your day. Christmas has more thought to it. I really like how Hanukkah operates, from what I know of it. It's a grounded and again, meaningful.

My mom's birthday is a few days after mine, and mine's a few days after valentine's day. It ends up being a festive period.