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dolariAfter reading Ruvoryn's Christmas/Solstice/Holidays entry, (And since it's over) I've decided to let loose some of my feelings on the season:
I could pretty much do without it. :)
A lot of people can't understand why I just do Solstice/Yule/Christmas/Chanukkah/New Years/Kwanzaa/Thingy stuff because "everyone around me just won't let it go." I'm not a grinch, though. I don't want to steal it away from other people, but if I had my druthers, the whole month of December would simply be another month of work, and weekends. Now I wasn't traumatized on Christmas, or have been accused of ruining it, or was dumped, or had family die on that day. No. It's something worse: I lived with Martha Stewart.
Growing up, my mother lived in a poor family with lots of kids. Her Christmas's then were a tree (sometimes), a very small toy, an apple and an orange. This was actually pretty expensive since my grandma had 10 kids under her roof at any given time (she had 16 kids). So, when she grew up, and got married, got a good job and a husband with one, she decided she'd have the Christmas of her Dreams.
Christmas at my Mom's house is a winter wonderland now. Every room smells of pine and cinnamon, garland everywhere, bows and pointsettas liberally sprinkled around the house, chrristmas music waftering through the house, countless christmas lights draped from the roof and on every bannister and a tree in the living room and den. A Christmas Party with Santa for the family every year...
It's wonderful, isn't it? Just what every Christmas should be.
HOWEVER.
It starts on November 1st. And ends on February 6th (The Feast of the Three Kings, according to my mother's calendar (which is often wrong :) )). Ninety Eight Days of Cinnamon and Pine. Ninety Eight Days of Garland Bows and Pointsettias. Ninety Eight Days of Sixteen Hours of Christmas Music...for twenty six years. One year we had nine real trees. Every year my mother invites the family kids and neighborhood kids for gingerbread parties (something that started in my 2nd grade class in 1982).
My dad doesn't seem to mind this at all...but I'm burned out on it. Hearing Christmas Music can send the same tremor of anxiety that "Back to School" summer commercials do through me.
So, now, I only do Christmas/Yule/Solstice/Kwanzaa/Chanukka ONLY because it's such a big deal for them. But, frankly, if I ever get my own place, it will be a Holiday Free Zone. :) Even despite the fact that Dean tries to make the Holidays fun (Christmas Tray indeed :) ).
Anyways - I'm off to the Holiday HQ that is the parent's house. Pray for Mojo.
One thing that I DO find neat, though, is my mother will buy gifts for EVERYONE in the family, and each gift has an apple and an orange. :)
I could pretty much do without it. :)
A lot of people can't understand why I just do Solstice/Yule/Christmas/Chanukkah/New Years/Kwanzaa/Thingy stuff because "everyone around me just won't let it go." I'm not a grinch, though. I don't want to steal it away from other people, but if I had my druthers, the whole month of December would simply be another month of work, and weekends. Now I wasn't traumatized on Christmas, or have been accused of ruining it, or was dumped, or had family die on that day. No. It's something worse: I lived with Martha Stewart.
Growing up, my mother lived in a poor family with lots of kids. Her Christmas's then were a tree (sometimes), a very small toy, an apple and an orange. This was actually pretty expensive since my grandma had 10 kids under her roof at any given time (she had 16 kids). So, when she grew up, and got married, got a good job and a husband with one, she decided she'd have the Christmas of her Dreams.
Christmas at my Mom's house is a winter wonderland now. Every room smells of pine and cinnamon, garland everywhere, bows and pointsettas liberally sprinkled around the house, chrristmas music waftering through the house, countless christmas lights draped from the roof and on every bannister and a tree in the living room and den. A Christmas Party with Santa for the family every year...
It's wonderful, isn't it? Just what every Christmas should be.
HOWEVER.
It starts on November 1st. And ends on February 6th (The Feast of the Three Kings, according to my mother's calendar (which is often wrong :) )). Ninety Eight Days of Cinnamon and Pine. Ninety Eight Days of Garland Bows and Pointsettias. Ninety Eight Days of Sixteen Hours of Christmas Music...for twenty six years. One year we had nine real trees. Every year my mother invites the family kids and neighborhood kids for gingerbread parties (something that started in my 2nd grade class in 1982).
My dad doesn't seem to mind this at all...but I'm burned out on it. Hearing Christmas Music can send the same tremor of anxiety that "Back to School" summer commercials do through me.
So, now, I only do Christmas/Yule/Solstice/Kwanzaa/Chanukka ONLY because it's such a big deal for them. But, frankly, if I ever get my own place, it will be a Holiday Free Zone. :) Even despite the fact that Dean tries to make the Holidays fun (Christmas Tray indeed :) ).
Anyways - I'm off to the Holiday HQ that is the parent's house. Pray for Mojo.
One thing that I DO find neat, though, is my mother will buy gifts for EVERYONE in the family, and each gift has an apple and an orange. :)
