Hello December!

2018 is finally coming to an end. It has been a momentous year in many aspects. The last month of the year, December is here. Every year is packed with events, stories and memories but this year has been exceptional in many aspects. For me, this year has been very special because I started blogging and sharing my work with all the incredible readers who actually read and appreciate me. Finally, I was able to muster the courage to share my stories, thoughts and views with others so I'd call it a year of change for myself.

December is everyone's favourite month because of its festive associations and drastic weather change throughout the world. 21 December the longest night of the year.  As the final month of 2018 kicks off, many people have commenced working on the new year's resolutions. The new year resolutions are essentially not obeyed throughout the year but it renders a sense of spirit for the upcoming year. Some of the most common new year resolutions are losing weight, finding love, settling down and moving abroad. Just like life, we don't usually achieve them but nevertheless, that with great anticipations, we enter the year with expectations.

 Many hopes and aspirations are linked to the year 2019, marriages, children, graduation, relationships and heartbreaks, trips or making new friends, we all have our own insights for the upcoming year and it is good but striving for some certain things to happen can lead to disappointments in case of non-occurrence. Just trust the Almighty and hope for the best. It is highly possible that you want something to happen in the next year but it wouldn't so don't be discouraged, everything happens on right time.

It is a month full of festivities. The biggest festival is Christmas, the birth of Jesus. It is a highly celebrated festival and very close to my heart because I have studied in a missionary school. The month of December used to be the most happening month in the school so every year this month gives me a very heartwarming trip down the memory lane. Also, Qaide Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah's birthday is in December. It is a month of holidays, throughout the world most of the holidays are marked in this month. Astounding discounts and sales fall throughout the month making it the favourite month of the year for the shopaholics. Almost everywhere in the world including Pakistan, the winter finally kicks off in December. Snow falls, fog and chilly winds mark the beginning of winters. This is the month when we get to have all the soup and halwa. Especially in Pakistan, in this season, carrots are highly in the market so every household makes Gajar ka halwa or Gajrella at least once this month.

Lahore is known for its December fog. The highly dense fog makes the city look like a fairy dressed in white. It is an admitted fact that Lahore is known for its food. In this season, the most loved food in Lahore is Harissa. A hot plate of Harissa with naan in the foggy season is a perfect combination. If you ever visit Lahore in December or even January, do try the Harrissa. It is the only time of the year when the Pakistanis enjoy coffee the most, I am pretty sure that the sales of instant coffee increase profoundly in this month, moreover, the love of tea is enhanced because who doesn't love tea, right? I may not be wrong in saying that tea is Pakistan's national drink. (pun intended)

With winter comes the gas shortage in most of the cities in Pakistan. The gas load shedding is extremely hard on the citizens. No geysers or heaters. One of the best things about winter is the hot showers, even though the gas load shedding makes it hard but all the effort is worth it. I personally prefer extremely warm baths, I look forward to this month especially to enjoy the hot showers. What about you?
 Which is your favourite month of the year? Let me know in the comments!

Key:
Gajar= Carrot.
Gajrella: Made from milk and carrots, a dessert.
Halwa: An Asian dessert.