The month of December embraces a number of significant events. If you were born on the eighteenth, you share your birthday with some pretty remarkable people including Brad Pitt, born in 1963, Steven Spielberg in 1946, Swiss artist Paul Klee in 1879, Rolling Stones guitarist Kieth Richards in 1943 and Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria in 1863.

A couple of things that are solidly linked to our observation of Christmas also occurred on the eighteenth. Tchaikovsky ‘s ballet, “Nutcracker,” was first performed in St. Petersburg in 1892, and, on that date in 1966, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” made its television debut.

If you couldn’t get tickets to the ballet, and if you’ve seen “The Grinch” a few too many times, there are other things to turn your attention to. Among the choices, the day is Bake Cookies Day. To do the day justice, you could drag out all those old family favorites, revered recipes handed down for generations, and that pile of tempting recipes you cut from magazines, copied off packages of nuts, candy, cereal, raisins and dried apricots. Also ideas you got from cooking shows and picked up from friends, neighbors and
co-workers over the years. Once you’ve sorted through them, you’ll be too tired to mix cookie dough so you might want to get some of that frozen dough from the store or disguise store-bought cookies with lots of brightly colored frosting. (You can get that in tubs and tubes at the store while you’re there.)

Too many sweets in the house already?

The day is also National Roast a Suckling Pig Day. That should keep you occupied for most of the day and your family will appreciate a hot meal. No suckling pigs at the store? Get some little pork sausages and a tube of refrigerator biscuits and make Pigs in a Blanket – close enough.

Since it’s getting awfully close to the BIG DAY, you might want to check over your gift list and make sure you have all the shopping finished and the gifts wrapped. When I was the person left in charge of those things, I always kept a few all-purpose gifts handy, just in case there was a shortage and no time to remedy it. Books and puzzles are appropriate for nearly anyone. Desk calendars, note cards and the ubiquitous gift cards will fill gaps for most adults. I’ve found that nearly everyone appreciates a new pillow every year or two, and those non-stick skillets need replacing pretty often.

My mother relied on pen knives for the men and bubble bath for women. Kids got coloring books or paper dolls. For children, today offers such universal things as art and craft supplies, model kits, the latest little gadget that most adults don’t understand (you can ask advice from anyone under twelve), novelty candies, pocket toys that make noise, spin, sparkle or can be turned into something else.

Some of the things I remember from my own childhood include novelty candy such as the two-pound giant peppermint sticks my sisters and I received one year and that lasted for nearly five years. We broke off egg-sized chunks with a hammer from time to time and, once that was consumed, didn’t hunger for peppermint for several months. Kids can always use bright mittens, scarves and stocking-caps (knitted ones stretch to fit more than one size.) My very own roll of Scotch Tape and a whole package of assorted colors of construction paper are among the most extravagant and treasured gifts I remember receiving.

Little girls like glitz and glamour, so a fluffy “feather” boa or a sparkly tiara would go over big, along with “make-up” made for pretending, Young boys seem to always appreciate those miniature cars and trucks, and my own sons were fascinated by padlocks (I learned early to keep the extra key in a safe place for emergencies.)

Probably the most appreciated gifts I received were the books my dad picked out for me. One, “Pinocchio” was accompanied by a Pinocchio doll just like the one in the Walt Disney movie, and he still has an honored place under my Christmas tree every year.