For some families, the day after Thanksgiving is a day to get the best deals of the year by waiting in line outside stores in the pre-dawn hours, a day to begin the Christmas shopping season in earnest. 

And for other families, the day after Thanksgiving is a day to lie around in a Post-Turkey Coma, watch football, and eat pumpkin pie for breakfast (admit it, you’ve done it at least once).

But our family tradition is going downtown to help crowd the streets of the city for the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree and the Macy’s star.  It’s sure to be wet and cold-hello, it’s late November in Seattle-but nobody cares. 

We all stand in the street (packed a bit like sardines), and there’s a ceremony with local music stars singing Christmas songs and choirs singing carols, and of course there’s a countdown to the lighting of the tree and fireworks to go with the star.  And afterward, we go to Pacific Place, a huge mall that celebrates the occasion by making it snow indoors with tiny soap bubbles.

Here are a couple of photos of the occasion from last year.

Downtown crowds. Click on the photo to make it larger and look at everyones’ faces. Look at those smiles! Does anyone look grumpy? No! It’s Christmas time!

Kelly and I at Pacific Place after the snowfall. This was taken exactly one year ago today!

If you’re going, maybe we’ll see you there.