For me, the word Holidailies conjures up images of celebration or happy family fun, etc, so I feel I should be writing about those special moments, but I just haven’t been able to work up much holiday enthusiasm so far this year.
In previous years I’ve mentioned that we have to divide up the holiday festivities each year so all families involved get some little part of it fairly apportioned. That means that in some years some people don’t get to celebrate on the exact date of the events. Usually, in the off years we just celebrate on some day before or just after Christmas. We just call it Festivus and it works out just fine.
But, this year, one family is going out of town, and won’t be back until close to New Year’s. And due to odd job scheduling issues in another family, we couldn’t arrange to have anything this past weekend, so our actual holiday celebration will not take place until the week after New Year. And that seems like a long time away.
Because of the timing, I just couldn’t muster up any enthusiasm at all for dragging out the Christmas tree and lights and ornaments this year. Besides, neither of us in this household is really into religion at all. And the only little person who visits regularly here or who might ever care about Santa is way too young to notice any lack of holiday decor. In fact, there is nothing at all in this house which indicates that there is a holiday happening anywhere in the immediate vicinity.
Oh, I take that back. Although I am a total slouch in the greeting card department, I do still receive maybe three to six cards, so they’re decorating our mantelpiece. And, I also just remembered there is the poinsettia plant given to us by the landlord. I don’t know if this counts, but my Christmas cactus is blooming. Since I have never had one bloom in the entire time I have ever owned one, I have no idea what I did right. But I don’t think I can do much to stretch that little Christmas miracle to into a Holidailies post.
I also haven’t done any serious shopping yet, so I’ve had little exposure to the commercial Christmas pimp-age. And, I’ve not watched any of the standard Christmas movies. The two biggies here being Miracle on 34th St. and It’s a Wonderful Life. Nor have I been to any Christmas parties. So there has been little outside stimulus to get my holiday juices flowing.
Without all the accouterments of Christmas, I have to think a little more about what it is that I am supposed to feel/celebrate. Coming from a religious background, I know all the stories and carols and can get caught up in the nostalgia; and I understand the holiday’s significance for believers, but Christmas has absolutely no religious significance to me.
I can get behind the idea of Santa and into the fun of it all, and into the gifting; although the commercialism makes that aspect somewhat distasteful. Charitable giving excepted, of course.
When all the tinsel and glitter is stripped away, what’s left for me is simply the importance of family togetherness; and gratitude that my family actually enjoys being together. We really don’t need Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day, or any other holiday specifically designated for that. And I will look forward to celebrating with my family in some special way on whatever day we can.