by Judi Vitale

With optimism and good feelings whooping it up, holiday celebrations are bound to get extreme! Each sign will have its own way of expressing this boundless feeling of unbridled joy. Check your festive tendencies out right here, and compare them with friends and family.

Aries (March 21 - April 19)
Pass the poi -- or whatever else seems strange and exotic! If you get overwhelmed trying to integrate 12 different global commemorations into one big dinner, bag the whole idea and board a plane for your favorite offshore destination.

Gift-Buying Theme: Showy trinkets from around the world.
Wants: Airline tickets.
Gets: Showy trinket.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
You're bringing sexy back in a big way this season, so don't be scandalized by your own behavior when you snap up skimpy skivvies and wild fragrances to wear under your party togs. When you feel the need to censor yourself, a productive heart-to-heart with the one relative you don't mind spending time with will feel good.

Gift-Buying Theme: Aphrodisiacal herbs and supplements, tawdry tools and still-sealed copies of Tantric Sex for Dummies and Running with Scissors.
Wants: Silk sheets for the bed.
Gets: A rubber ducky for the bath.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)
Your days of being a player are over. This is the year you'll search for your other half -- and mean it this time. If you're not already attached, you could make a part-time job out of those 15-minute meet & greets at your local coffee bar. Eventually you'll get used to peppermint-laced latte, and with any luck, by year-end you'll have someone special to exchange gifts with.

Gift-Buying Theme: Anything that comes in pairs, from candlestick holders to twin finches cuddling in a cage.
Wants: Matching His and Her Maseratis.
Gets: A pair of fuzzy slippers.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22)
Strike a healthy balance between succumbing to your recent health-and-wellness impulses … and your inner cookie monster. Although the rest of the family probably won't love the wheatgrass juice you serve at your party, a little taste of fitness won't hurt them -- or you. Better than going back on that "see-food" diet.

Gift-Buying Theme: Anti-oxidants and books on vegan food preparation.
Wants: A yearly membership to a not-so-far-away gym.
Gets: A jump rope and an old Tae Bo video.

Leo (July 23 - August 22)
Don't you dare drop your BlackBerry! You'll have way too many parties, dates and general happy gatherings to keep track of in your real brain. Your creative nature will bare itself now, too. If you're not out caroling, you're sure to be manifesting a winter wonderland in some company rec hall or school gym.

Gift-Buying Theme: Hangover cures and disposable dinnerware.
Wants: An iPod big enough to hold a playlist for every occasion.
Gets: A photo album filled with photos that could be blackmail material.

Virgo (August 23 - September 22)
Your theme song for this season will be "Home for the Holidays." Your organizing, itemizing and logistical (or is it controlling?) side will welcome any and all visitors to join in your various celebrations. You'll deck the halls, walls and possibly part of the ceilings with your crafty creations.

Gift-Buying Theme: Housewares and cleaning supplies.
Wants: Keys to the home dreams are made of.
Gets: A robotic vac for in absentia crumb clearing.

About the Author
Judi Vitale is an astrologer and writer who's had her eye on the sky for most of her life. When she's not whipping up horoscopes, poring over articles or working with clients, Judi lectures, teaches and does everything possible to plant seeds of spiritual awareness in the hearts of any or all who look, listen or read. Nothing satisfies her more than helping people get in touch with their highest purpose in life. Judi received her certification as a consulting astrologer from the National Council for Geocosmic Research in 1995.