Holiday Season

I find this time of year I tend to do a lot of reflecting and remembering how much I enjoyed the holidays when my grandparents and in-laws were around.  The holidays just haven't been the same since the passing of my grandparents and my mother and father in law.  They were the heads of the families and were the glue that kept each of the families together.  They have each been gone several years now and with each year that goes by, the holidays become less and less special.   

This year, we spent the first part of our day having lunch (I made Menudo), working on our puzzle, and just relaxing.  In the evening, we went over to friends house for Fajitas, decorating gingerbread cookies, and hanging out.  We always have fun when we hang out with our friends, but there was nothing "holidayish" about the evening.  It was just friends hanging out and having fun.

Sometimes I think we should do something that would bring the festiveness back to the holidays, but I have no idea what that something would be.  What do you do to make your holidays special?