With Christmas right around the corner, I think it's about time I make a confession. ::takes deep breath::
Hello everyone. My name is Ande...and I'm....a.....Christmas nerd. ::hangs head in shame::
I love Christmas. I love JUST about everything about it. With that said, however, there are some things that I would like to go on record for believing about this holiday. First, some random statements...second, a list of what is awesome, and what is crap, about this season.
First and foremost: What a mess we've made out of this day! We're so selfish sometimes.. why did everyone have to turn such a great anniversary of Jesus' birth into a stressful month of consciously going into debt because society says we have to give people expensive gifts to be accepted?
Secondly, it's no coincidence that Santa's name switched around spells S-A-T-A-N. Okay, maybe he's not that evil...but seriously folks- WHY would you lie to your kids? I mean, you spend their childhood teaching them not to lie, and you're lying right to their face when you tell them about Satan, I mean Santa Clause. People- I don't care what tradition you're claiming here, it's lying! Stop it.
Okay, now that that's out of the way (had to get that off my chest), on to more positive things. By the way, when I refer to Christmas, I am talking about traditional American Christmas - not anywhere else. I like Christmas because for a whole month or more, I feel just a little bit better about the world. I wish I felt the way I felt around Christmas time ALL the time. It's just the kind of things that come with Christmas- people are just a little more forgiving, they TRY to love people just a little bit more, they're a little more generous, and for a split second, people in general (in my opinion) take a breath and really take a look at their lives...or maybe that's all just me?
Things About Christmas I Don't Like
- Anything that praises Santa, Snowmen, Reindeer, etc. (Exception: I like building snowmen, and I will occasionally sing those stupid songs about reindeer and snowmen...but only because I've heard them since I burst out of the womb!)
- Buying useless crap (and usually going into debt) for people out of guilt. I kinda wish I could say let's just not buy ANYTHING for ANYONE...but unfortunately, I've been conditioned (a Generation X'er living in the U.S.) to think that would be absurd! I really do like buying certain things for certain people...but we're kinda ridiculous here.
- Speaking of which, I really hate when parents buy their young kids (under 10 or so) WAY too much crap and the kid isn't thankful. Seen that way too much.
- Christmas sweaters.
- The Reason for the Season! (Sorry, I couldn't resist). Seriously- the whole reason that Christmas exists! People, this is good stuff. Jesus? Birth? Jerusalem? Savior? YES!
- The rest of what I'm listing is tradition. Yes, I like tradition sometimes- can you believe it? Traditional things I love about Christmas:
- Christmas parades and apple cider (or hot cocoa).
- Christmas trees, both the choosing, transporting, decorating, watching, and setting-on-fire-in-the-woods.
- Handel's Messiah is da' shiz. I prefer the "Highlights" version myself. I also like Christmas music BUT BUT BUT I'm not stupid crazy about it and I don't start listening to it in October like other Christmas nerds.
- Christmas cornflake wreaths. Oh people, so easy, yet so good. Cornflakes, butter, marshmellows, green food dye, shape it in a wreath and sprinkle cinnamon things on it.
- Egg nog and holiday cream.
- The ultimate holiday scene for me at home: Sitting by our brick fireplace, drinking egg nog by the lit up Christmas tree with my family. Guys- seriously- it's good stuff.
- This hasn't gone away in 24 years! The feeling of Christmas morning when you first wake up and realize..."IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!!!!"
- Christmas morning breakfast, yum!
- The fact that for one day, one day in the entire year, that I feel like any problems I'm going through can really just be put on hold till the day after.
- Christmas is associated with comfort for me. I moved out when I was 18. Over 6 years, I've just put "Going home and being comfortable" with Christmas because I'm ALWAYS home at Christmas, no matter what. So some of this is probably blown out of proportion because I'm just happy to be home.
