Chrishanukwanzaamas
Dec. 15th, 2003 06:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anotheranonOr some such. A friend asked me recently why I send out "Christmas" cards (my word, not hers). I had meant to say "holiday" cards, but even being this far out from Christian practice and traditional trees, lights etc. it still fell easily off my tongue (or in this case, keyboard).
So it got me to thinking - why DO I still celebrate <insert winter holiday here>?
It's certainly not a religious holiday for me, that's for sure. Every year I hear at least one version of the futile lament that Chrismas should "go back to it's roots", or similar. What roots are these, exactly? I seem to remember that the holiday borrows heavily from multiple earlier traditions in the first place. I have a Jewish friend who LOVES the holiday more than I ever could! (As an aside, I'm noticing that Chanukha is taking on a lot of the trappings of Christmas, including theme decorations, wrapping paper and cards. Accident, design, or default?) Hell, Christmas is even celebrated in Japan and the country is mostly Shinto, AFAIK. The "Christmas season" has been a mishmash of traditions for quite awhile, like it or not.
"Giftmas"? I enjoy giving to my friends when I'm able. What I'd really prefer is to give gifts as I find them, instead of having to hoard everything until December and hope they don't discover this perfect-for-them item on their own before then :P I LOATHE the over-commerciality of Christmas that dictates that you should go into debt you'll be paying off until the next Christmas because it's expected. I'm also frustrated that my family insists upon getting me gifts this year when I have asked them not to. It's sweet of them, but embarrassing because it's hard to be gifted and not have a gift for them in return. As for office gifts and "Secret Santas" that just gets awkward - I like to take in candy or brownies if I do anything at all - much less complicated.
Decoration can be fun, but houses overly encrusted with lights, wreaths, blow up snowmen, plastic creches etc. goes far and beyond festive to just tacky (IMHO. I'm all for cheesiness that acknowledges it's own kitchsyness, but most of these homeowners think their houses look nice). No wonder there are energy shortages - how are we fueling all of those trees and lights? Also, what about the staggering waste of paper in the form of wrapping paper, decorations, and cards? (Actually, I LIKE the cards. It gives me an excuse to sit down and send out a piece of physical mail, something I don't do much anymore). I could forgive some of it if there were a little creativity involved, but Martha Stewart and her ilk seem to have a monopoly on Christmas style. I did a search on Google for "weird christmas tree" and "creative christmas tree" and came up with only one really creative ornament site (NSFW). Where are the Halloween themed trees? I'd even settle for an Eye of Sauron tree topper!
For the record, I don't decorate - I find it stressful and time consuming. D. is allowed to do anything he likes, as long as there's nothing overtly religious. And a live tree probably wouldn't be good in a house with two cats eager to "play lumberjack" ;)
Is it the food? Maybe, but in the States we have a whole holiday devoted to food the month before, Thanksgiving. Maybe it's so we can all really pork out and be miserable together, trying to lose those 5 extra pounds? ;) And what sadist came up with fruitcake??
No, it's gotta be the friends and family - after all, who doesn't like spending time with loved ones? Quite a few, as it turns out, and almost everyone has heard Holiday Horror Stories of families that get together "because it's Christmas" and have an astoundingly awful time! Even those of us who DO like our families can find it trying to spend multiple days cooped up in a crowded house with nowhere to go. And even if it were a bed of roses, the cost and crowding of travel is punitive because everyone is doing the same thing because... it's Christmas (!!)
Even if you love the holiday it can be very stressful trying to do and go and get everything to make the Perfect Christmas(TM). A lot of people hate the holiday because it IS so tiring and full of obligations. Others, like me, have seasonal affective disorder, which ruined the winter for me for years, making Christmas seem like a harrowing obligation. Even though the depression has faded in the past couple of years, the tiredness hasn't - it's hard to be jolly for weeks on end when your body is trying desperately to hibernate :P
What I've discovered is: I celebrate Christmas because 1) habit 2) I can't get away from it, and 3) I actually enjoy some of it, if it's not forced on me and if it's not to excess.
So it got me to thinking - why DO I still celebrate <insert winter holiday here>?
It's certainly not a religious holiday for me, that's for sure. Every year I hear at least one version of the futile lament that Chrismas should "go back to it's roots", or similar. What roots are these, exactly? I seem to remember that the holiday borrows heavily from multiple earlier traditions in the first place. I have a Jewish friend who LOVES the holiday more than I ever could! (As an aside, I'm noticing that Chanukha is taking on a lot of the trappings of Christmas, including theme decorations, wrapping paper and cards. Accident, design, or default?) Hell, Christmas is even celebrated in Japan and the country is mostly Shinto, AFAIK. The "Christmas season" has been a mishmash of traditions for quite awhile, like it or not.
"Giftmas"? I enjoy giving to my friends when I'm able. What I'd really prefer is to give gifts as I find them, instead of having to hoard everything until December and hope they don't discover this perfect-for-them item on their own before then :P I LOATHE the over-commerciality of Christmas that dictates that you should go into debt you'll be paying off until the next Christmas because it's expected. I'm also frustrated that my family insists upon getting me gifts this year when I have asked them not to. It's sweet of them, but embarrassing because it's hard to be gifted and not have a gift for them in return. As for office gifts and "Secret Santas" that just gets awkward - I like to take in candy or brownies if I do anything at all - much less complicated.
Decoration can be fun, but houses overly encrusted with lights, wreaths, blow up snowmen, plastic creches etc. goes far and beyond festive to just tacky (IMHO. I'm all for cheesiness that acknowledges it's own kitchsyness, but most of these homeowners think their houses look nice). No wonder there are energy shortages - how are we fueling all of those trees and lights? Also, what about the staggering waste of paper in the form of wrapping paper, decorations, and cards? (Actually, I LIKE the cards. It gives me an excuse to sit down and send out a piece of physical mail, something I don't do much anymore). I could forgive some of it if there were a little creativity involved, but Martha Stewart and her ilk seem to have a monopoly on Christmas style. I did a search on Google for "weird christmas tree" and "creative christmas tree" and came up with only one really creative ornament site (NSFW). Where are the Halloween themed trees? I'd even settle for an Eye of Sauron tree topper!
For the record, I don't decorate - I find it stressful and time consuming. D. is allowed to do anything he likes, as long as there's nothing overtly religious. And a live tree probably wouldn't be good in a house with two cats eager to "play lumberjack" ;)
Is it the food? Maybe, but in the States we have a whole holiday devoted to food the month before, Thanksgiving. Maybe it's so we can all really pork out and be miserable together, trying to lose those 5 extra pounds? ;) And what sadist came up with fruitcake??
No, it's gotta be the friends and family - after all, who doesn't like spending time with loved ones? Quite a few, as it turns out, and almost everyone has heard Holiday Horror Stories of families that get together "because it's Christmas" and have an astoundingly awful time! Even those of us who DO like our families can find it trying to spend multiple days cooped up in a crowded house with nowhere to go. And even if it were a bed of roses, the cost and crowding of travel is punitive because everyone is doing the same thing because... it's Christmas (!!)
Even if you love the holiday it can be very stressful trying to do and go and get everything to make the Perfect Christmas(TM). A lot of people hate the holiday because it IS so tiring and full of obligations. Others, like me, have seasonal affective disorder, which ruined the winter for me for years, making Christmas seem like a harrowing obligation. Even though the depression has faded in the past couple of years, the tiredness hasn't - it's hard to be jolly for weeks on end when your body is trying desperately to hibernate :P
What I've discovered is: I celebrate Christmas because 1) habit 2) I can't get away from it, and 3) I actually enjoy some of it, if it's not forced on me and if it's not to excess.
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no subject
Date: 2003-12-16 06:56 am (UTC)I rather celebrate JUL as it is called here in Sweden. even the christians call it jul. jul or yule is said to be some kind of variant of "drinking mjöd/öl" "drinking beer." the jul tradition goes back far longer than the more juvenile christmas tradition. there have been variations like midwinterblot (midwinter sacrifice or slaughter) where slaves where hung in trees or decapitated, sometimes the King would offer himself as sacrifice if his people needed lots of support form their gods. it is also said that Jesus was not at all born at this dark time of the year but rather in April, however, the midwinter celebrations were very difficult to banish so the church decided to simply smack christmas ontop of it all. personally I think we need some time off in the middle of winter. especially when living this far north where the sun rise at 09.00 and sets at 14.15. soothing time off with family and dear ones :) all the food and drink is of course a main reason too ;)