Winter Holidays
So it's Christmas, which is significant for some. As a Pagan, and as one who's never really ever been Christian, Christmas has meant less to me as the birth of the savior of the world as presents, family and feasting, and that's how I really like it. Every year, we meet up with my dad's side of the family, and I get to see my cousins and my gramps and it's awesome. Unfortunately we can't do that this year, but it's no big loss, as I'll get to see them in a couple weeks or something.
No matter, I'm really tired from yesterday (I spent all day cleaning) and I'd like to just relax on this nice Christmas day. There's plans to go see Tangled, which makes me a happy little faggot.
What I don't want to do today:
-Cook and/or eat steak, chicken, pork or roast for a "Christmas dinner"
-Go out somewhere for "Christmas dinner", especially Marie Calendars (already did it this year, not interested in repeating it)
Call me old fashioned, but I think the definition of a Christmas dinner does not include going out to a restaurant where everyone will be fucking around on their cell phones until the food comes. Not really family bonding. And I'm damn tired of the same fucking meats every day. I'll probably come up with something cool and different later on, involving couscous or polenta or something, but I don't want to have the ho-hum dinner of steak/chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans.
But onto gifts...
Christmas has become less "Oh gee golly, Jesus is born!" and more "getthefuckoutofmywayTHAT'SMYTICKLEMEELMO!!!!!" which is depressing, so say the least. From Halloween on, all I've seen is Christmas shit plastered everywhere, and stores will have their "Christmas" sales to "get that last gift on your list!" People buy presents for each other because they feel they have to, and in a sense, they do. Many people feel put-out and/or hurt if they don't get a Christmas present. So then you have people who have no idea what to buy for Sally, so they go to Bath and Body works and get her a little bottle of Moonlight Path, or they go to Sees and get her a small box of like four truffles.
Too bad Sally's allergic to Bath and Body Works' stuff and she hates chocolate.
People get shit they don't want every year because they receive those forced presents. I have gotten this so many times. Thanks for the gloves, but woolly and fuzzy isn't my thing. I could probably have gone forever without receiving this box of Palmer chocolate.
My favorite gifts that I have ever gotten have been a scarf that my cousin made for me, this beautiful little Celtic cross pendant my mom got me for one Valentine's day, and my Xbox 360. I wear that scarf every winter, as I am so extremely prone to the cold weather (I'm sure I could suffer from frost bite in 60-degree weather). I wore that cross for about five years after I got it. And I played my Xbox nearly constantly until the video card in it died. All of these gifts are either practical or sentimental (YES VIDEO GAMES ARE PRACTICAL DAMMIT)
So my philosophy on gift-giving is this: if I can't find something you will either absolutely love or find very useful, I'm not getting you anything. It's less of a waste for everyone in the end. I didn't buy my best friend anything yet because I haven't found anything she could really want. I didn't buy my mom anything, but she said that my cleaning the entire kitchen yesterday was my present to her, so that was sweet (my dad doesn't really give a shit about presents).
Rather than wasting time and stressing over presents, maybe we should just appreciate what we have more and learn to see Christmas as a time of togetherness and warmth in this cold season (well, unless you're in Australia I guess).
I think this is my longest post! w00t~
No matter, I'm really tired from yesterday (I spent all day cleaning) and I'd like to just relax on this nice Christmas day. There's plans to go see Tangled, which makes me a happy little faggot.
What I don't want to do today:
-Cook and/or eat steak, chicken, pork or roast for a "Christmas dinner"
-Go out somewhere for "Christmas dinner", especially Marie Calendars (already did it this year, not interested in repeating it)
Call me old fashioned, but I think the definition of a Christmas dinner does not include going out to a restaurant where everyone will be fucking around on their cell phones until the food comes. Not really family bonding. And I'm damn tired of the same fucking meats every day. I'll probably come up with something cool and different later on, involving couscous or polenta or something, but I don't want to have the ho-hum dinner of steak/chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans.
But onto gifts...
Christmas has become less "Oh gee golly, Jesus is born!" and more "getthefuckoutofmywayTHAT'SMYTICKLEMEELMO!!!!!" which is depressing, so say the least. From Halloween on, all I've seen is Christmas shit plastered everywhere, and stores will have their "Christmas" sales to "get that last gift on your list!" People buy presents for each other because they feel they have to, and in a sense, they do. Many people feel put-out and/or hurt if they don't get a Christmas present. So then you have people who have no idea what to buy for Sally, so they go to Bath and Body works and get her a little bottle of Moonlight Path, or they go to Sees and get her a small box of like four truffles.
Too bad Sally's allergic to Bath and Body Works' stuff and she hates chocolate.
People get shit they don't want every year because they receive those forced presents. I have gotten this so many times. Thanks for the gloves, but woolly and fuzzy isn't my thing. I could probably have gone forever without receiving this box of Palmer chocolate.
My favorite gifts that I have ever gotten have been a scarf that my cousin made for me, this beautiful little Celtic cross pendant my mom got me for one Valentine's day, and my Xbox 360. I wear that scarf every winter, as I am so extremely prone to the cold weather (I'm sure I could suffer from frost bite in 60-degree weather). I wore that cross for about five years after I got it. And I played my Xbox nearly constantly until the video card in it died. All of these gifts are either practical or sentimental (YES VIDEO GAMES ARE PRACTICAL DAMMIT)
So my philosophy on gift-giving is this: if I can't find something you will either absolutely love or find very useful, I'm not getting you anything. It's less of a waste for everyone in the end. I didn't buy my best friend anything yet because I haven't found anything she could really want. I didn't buy my mom anything, but she said that my cleaning the entire kitchen yesterday was my present to her, so that was sweet (my dad doesn't really give a shit about presents).
Rather than wasting time and stressing over presents, maybe we should just appreciate what we have more and learn to see Christmas as a time of togetherness and warmth in this cold season (well, unless you're in Australia I guess).
I think this is my longest post! w00t~