My roommates sometimes call me scrooge around the holidays. Mostly because I am not into the idea of decorating*. I don’t like doing it because it ends up being just me who does it. So I’ve become slightly apathetic. Yes, apathetic.
But this year I am looking forward to the holidays, as long as I don’t have to decorate, and as far as I know, I don’t!
The reason why I am looking forward to this winter season (minus the cold weather) is because I have not really seen much of my family in the past three months. My parents live in Florida**. My older sister has a multiude of activities and things planned for her family, which never seem to work with my schedule (which require getting up and being ready before 9 am…on a Saturday morning). My younger sister spends so much time working that she’s not home much (and she lives the closest to me!). So yea, I’m really looking forward to seeing the family and hope everything goes smoothly.
I get a little “hrrmph” around the holidays is because a lot of people act so greedy. It drives me beserk. The holidays are about spending time with people that you want to spend time with. Sure, getting gifts are nice, but I genuinely don’t want anything. I’m the kind of person who sees something I want or need, I’ll buy it***.
I am looking forward to New Year’s because I have a couple people that I’m going to spend it with. We’re not going to spend tons of money being all glitzy and going to one of those places where you pay about $150 on the ticket and end up with three or four drinks for the whole night. We’re going to spend it at a place where we know the people and know that we’ll have a good time because we are with people we love.
I just wish people would think twice about the holidays and remember what it’s really about. So go ahead, throw up your decorations and leave them up until March. Have a party or two or even three, cook up a storm, have lots of wine and invite everyone you know. Splurge on gifts for your loved ones. Surprise an admirer with a cute gift. Make your own gifts. Go ice skating and watch out for those little children who zip around the rink. But don’t forget to be with your family and friends, and tell them, “you know what, I’m glad you’re a part of my life”.
Here’s to everyone having a safe and happy holidays.
*It’s kind of ironic because I love decorating a place to make it feel like home…yet I don’t like putting up christmas decorations
**They say it’s temporary…I don’t think so.
***It’s a habit my mom has passed on to me.
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I am neither a Christian or Jewish or whatever religion. I still have a nostaglia for Xmas decorations which my deaf (deceased) mother always done them beautifully.
One of my friend mocked me for having the Xmas tree few years. He turned to me - “You are not a Christian. Why bother with Xmas decorations??”
Despite my atheist status, I always find myself amused with people engaging in holiday spirits.
No questions about handful of people go overboard with Christmas decorations.
Have you or others read the feature article in the Washington Post magazine how our Christmas celebration have been culitivated from the Romans celebrated in naked for the pagan holiday to the present “more conservative” kind of celebration?
I have been very familar with the history of major holidays from Halloween to Christmas to the New Year Celebration (Fall period during the Roman times) before reading the article in the Washington Post magazine anyway.
RLM
As some folks might know from previous blogs I have written here, I’m a Deaf Pagan Minister.
I’m currently in the middle of teaching an on-line course called “The Winter Solstice” in which we discuss the origins of today’s holiday celebrations, many of which harken back to Pagan times. It’s fascinating to see how many of those traditions we now celebrate did not in fact begin with Judaism or Christianity, but harken back to even older, more ancient times. (Many of these traditions are discussed in the beautiful book “The Winter Solstice” written by John Matthews, which I highly recommend for anyone who would like to learn more about this holiday season.)
The whole concept of celebrating this time of the year, the birth of the Holy Child, the Christmas Tree, Santa Claus, reindeer, etc. etc. - I can probably give you an ancient Pagan legend to explain it.
I too have put up decorations and a tree, and been asked why I would do so if I am Pagan. I find it a good opportunity to explain some of those origins, and how the Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is important and thus celebrated even by us so called “heathens.”
One of my fellow Pagans wrote a very nice blog about The Christmas Spirit on my own Pagan blog site in which she expresses many of the same feelings that Erin does - it seems the spirit of the season is rapidly disappearing, only to be replaced by this gross feeling of commercialism and “gimme gimme gimme.” I agree with her totally…this should be a time for thinking about friendship and fellowship.
By the way, RLM…I believe that the holiday you might be referring to is the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia…which was followed by the Kalends in January. Other festivals which were also celebrated around this time included those to honor the woodland goddess Strenia, and Bacchus - god of wine and revelry (from whom we get the festival of Bacchanalia).
However, I don’t believe this was consider the “Fall period.” In fact, Solstice was also known as Midwinter because it fell midway between Samhain (Halloween) which marked the beginning of the winter season, and Imbolc at the beginning of February, which marked the turning of the year towards Spring. I would be curious to know from what sources you have taken your understanding of these holidays.
In any case, thank you for the warm greetings, Erin. I wish you and yours a very happy holidays as well.
And if you get another comment about Scrooge, just smile and remember that in the end…Scrooge did end up understanding what the season truly means better than most of us - and kept the spirit of Christmas in his heart for the rest of his days.
Blessings,
Rev. Virginia L. Beach
“Ocean”
I completely agree! I make it a point NOT to shop during the holiday season. I don’t see the point of going into debt and having something to with selling records of stores. that, plus the christmas all the time mentality makes me cynical and jaded. So I just avoid the stores, pick one day, when I already know what I am buying (I research on the web first), go in and out and that’s it. I do like Christmas decorations, and I like having a tree at home, but I don’t usulaly get it up until about two weeks before, then I take it down about two weeks after. Makes the holiday season more enjoyable. :)
But what I am looking forward to more than naything else is seeing my nieces and nephews!! It’ll be great to see the little tots.
Its amazing to see that after all the months of ruckus of unfair proccess, howls of opression, screams of lack of people of color, and audism cries that even the new deafhood chocked IPSAC restarted the selection process shockingly came up with an almost identical mix of final three candidates.
It makes me wonder if the deafhood charisma has really gone to the grinches this time.
The only decorations I have is snowflakes with lights on the bay window with snowman/snowwoman, “Happy Hanukkah” with lights on it by the window above the door and my dogs’ pink and blue stockings. It’s the only time I decorate.
To me personally, the holidays have become too commercialized. I roll my eyes when each holiday approaches and it has no meaning to me. Why wait until this date to make it big when we could do this everyday for those who are unfortunate?
Who really need all the money, food and stuff? Certainly those who are poor and from the 3rd world — be it animals or humans. Instead, millions of dollars are spent on themselves and people who don’t need them.