Musings on the holiday
Musings on the holiday, as I watch Charlie Brown make the most of a really pathetic little tree and a ton of self-doubt....
I grew up with Christmas as a pretty big deal. Christmas songs to sing, TV specials to watch, a tree to decorate, cookies to bake, presents to open, family to share laughs with. We never had tons of money, but there was always something under the tree that we had barely dared to dream about -- and while most of our stuff was clearly from our parents, the gift we knew they couldn't afford was from Santa.
My family has a ton of little silly rituals -- chief among them the Singing of Obnoxious Carols while we decorate the tree with homemade ornaments we blame each other for, and the Testing of the Beloved Tree-Topper Angel that is a year older than me (and in sorrier shape). There is a way we do things -- how we open stockings first, then presents, so that everyone can see what we got -- and a way of stretching the joy of the day as long as possible.
Because we also went to church in those days, inevitably there would be some performance -- one year I played "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" on french horn for the congregation -- and plenty of discussions of "the meaning of the season". I grew up keenly aware of the Christmas story.
As years went by, and the little miracles got explained, we still made the effort to do something special and leave nobody out of the fun. And the traditions evolved a bit here and there as the family grew. My own personal tradition includes watching IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE at some point before the big day (otherwise it won't be Christmas) and hosting the family for a big Christmas Eve feast. I take the holiday pretty seriously. And that's why I get pissed off by the cynical attention-grabbing bastards who try to get everyone worked up about the "war on christmas".
In the end, I find Christmas actually works best as the commercial, secular holiday it has always been. After all, the Christians co-opted an existing celebration that was already tied to the whole death and rebirth cycle, and the tradition of midwinter gifts and feasts was already there. But I don't think that demeans the season at all -- in fact, it reminds me that it's all part of a seasonal dance that's bigger than any one faith or tradition. There's no reason for anyone to feel left out of the fun, and THAT, more than anything, is why we can and should put up with the promotion of a chubby old gift-giver in our public space instead of a nice Jewish boy who probably wasn't born on December 25th anyway.
We need to remember that deep down, it's more about the gifts we give each other; the hospitality, the shared warmth, the communal breaking of bread, the silly extravagance, and yes, even the boost to the economy. It's about cutting back a bit on yourself to ensure that you can make special memories to share. That's what makes the season special, and what powers the myths that surround it (whatever your opinion on their spiritual or literal truth).
Make it about family and friendship and giving and sharing -- and if that, for you, also includes a message of sanctity and sacrifice, then all the better. But don't waste energy complaining because others celebrate the season in a different way.
I grew up with Christmas as a pretty big deal. Christmas songs to sing, TV specials to watch, a tree to decorate, cookies to bake, presents to open, family to share laughs with. We never had tons of money, but there was always something under the tree that we had barely dared to dream about -- and while most of our stuff was clearly from our parents, the gift we knew they couldn't afford was from Santa.
My family has a ton of little silly rituals -- chief among them the Singing of Obnoxious Carols while we decorate the tree with homemade ornaments we blame each other for, and the Testing of the Beloved Tree-Topper Angel that is a year older than me (and in sorrier shape). There is a way we do things -- how we open stockings first, then presents, so that everyone can see what we got -- and a way of stretching the joy of the day as long as possible.
Because we also went to church in those days, inevitably there would be some performance -- one year I played "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" on french horn for the congregation -- and plenty of discussions of "the meaning of the season". I grew up keenly aware of the Christmas story.
As years went by, and the little miracles got explained, we still made the effort to do something special and leave nobody out of the fun. And the traditions evolved a bit here and there as the family grew. My own personal tradition includes watching IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE at some point before the big day (otherwise it won't be Christmas) and hosting the family for a big Christmas Eve feast. I take the holiday pretty seriously. And that's why I get pissed off by the cynical attention-grabbing bastards who try to get everyone worked up about the "war on christmas".
In the end, I find Christmas actually works best as the commercial, secular holiday it has always been. After all, the Christians co-opted an existing celebration that was already tied to the whole death and rebirth cycle, and the tradition of midwinter gifts and feasts was already there. But I don't think that demeans the season at all -- in fact, it reminds me that it's all part of a seasonal dance that's bigger than any one faith or tradition. There's no reason for anyone to feel left out of the fun, and THAT, more than anything, is why we can and should put up with the promotion of a chubby old gift-giver in our public space instead of a nice Jewish boy who probably wasn't born on December 25th anyway.
We need to remember that deep down, it's more about the gifts we give each other; the hospitality, the shared warmth, the communal breaking of bread, the silly extravagance, and yes, even the boost to the economy. It's about cutting back a bit on yourself to ensure that you can make special memories to share. That's what makes the season special, and what powers the myths that surround it (whatever your opinion on their spiritual or literal truth).
Make it about family and friendship and giving and sharing -- and if that, for you, also includes a message of sanctity and sacrifice, then all the better. But don't waste energy complaining because others celebrate the season in a different way.