If you are like my mother, you have just hit full blown Christmas spirit. It is time to start to give in to the commercial temptation and have at it. My mother is very peculiar, in that, during the time before Thanksgiving and up to the day after (Black Friday), she complains of all the stores being packed full of Christmas things. From left to right, there is absolutely nothing Thanksgiving and all Jack Frost and Santa Claus. But then, after the week of Thanksgiving, she is ready for Christmas. Maybe she just finds the Countdown to the Countdown to Christmas ridiculous (thank you ABC Family for further proving that Americans think up the dumbest things).
But this Sunday, the true Christmas spirit came out in her. We bought our PERFECT tree ($85 of pre-cut deliciousness) and the matching $20 wreath from a local Christmas tree farm. I would never in my wildest dreams imagine that people could ask for $85 for a Christmas tree. It is just a tree that has been well groomed. Honestly, there are some plastic ones that go for cheaper. If past generations saw the going price for an 8 foot evergreen tree, they probably would frown. We've never spent this much for a tree. I think I'll just blame the economy and leave it at that.
But anyways, back to my Christmas spirit. What I find the most fascinating about Christmas is what people find most important, that being tradition. Every family has certain ways of doing things around this time of the year, and if one tries to stop such traditions from happening, there is a certain death warrant. For instance, I have already mentioned that we get our tree (snow or shine) every year, the weekend after Thanksgiving. We then drink hot cocoa and decorate the tree and house, while blasting Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas throughout every room. This happens without fail. No changes. Which sometimes can get hectic, especially when people try to make other plans on the “Tree Day”, or if someone is cranky or PMS-y or sick or tired. Traditions tend to have a way to bring people together, but sometimes they just make things worse. With little room for variation, things can get… well. Messed up. If something doesn’t meet the pre-set standard, the day has a melancholy feeling until people forgive and forget (which tends to take more than one day).
But this Sunday, the true Christmas spirit came out in her. We bought our PERFECT tree ($85 of pre-cut deliciousness) and the matching $20 wreath from a local Christmas tree farm. I would never in my wildest dreams imagine that people could ask for $85 for a Christmas tree. It is just a tree that has been well groomed. Honestly, there are some plastic ones that go for cheaper. If past generations saw the going price for an 8 foot evergreen tree, they probably would frown. We've never spent this much for a tree. I think I'll just blame the economy and leave it at that.
But anyways, back to my Christmas spirit. What I find the most fascinating about Christmas is what people find most important, that being tradition. Every family has certain ways of doing things around this time of the year, and if one tries to stop such traditions from happening, there is a certain death warrant. For instance, I have already mentioned that we get our tree (snow or shine) every year, the weekend after Thanksgiving. We then drink hot cocoa and decorate the tree and house, while blasting Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas throughout every room. This happens without fail. No changes. Which sometimes can get hectic, especially when people try to make other plans on the “Tree Day”, or if someone is cranky or PMS-y or sick or tired. Traditions tend to have a way to bring people together, but sometimes they just make things worse. With little room for variation, things can get… well. Messed up. If something doesn’t meet the pre-set standard, the day has a melancholy feeling until people forgive and forget (which tends to take more than one day).
On the other hand, traditions create a theme of solidarity, which is very important for a family. Every Christmas Eve, my family eats an early dinner of Kraut Pockets, carrot salad, and other delicious foods to create quite a few protruding tummies. Then, dressed in our Sunday best, we trudge of to church to enjoy a candlelit service. Finally the high point of the night comes, when we open all our presents (except for the ones Santa brings) and gorge on cookies. Off to bed early, we eagerly await what “Santa” is to bring, and the next morning we are never disappointed. A big breakfast and the parade on television just continues the festiveness, and relaxing in my pajamas with my immediate family feels so… right, that it’s hard to imagine a time when I would get mad at them. We all join together to make a giant feast for mid afternoon and have gaming competitions on the Wii. Sometimes sledding and forts are feasible, but occasionally we have a semi-green Christmas.
All of these traditions are what I think about when it comes to Christmas; feelings of togetherness emanate throughout the holiday. But the thing is, during this holiday it is hard to remember why it even came into existence. It’s true, the holiday is about family and growth, but it’s supposed to be about the baby Jesus being born as well. How he was born in such a barbaric setting for the king of all kings, and how his birth brought hope to so many people. There was no Walmart, no million dollars worth of presents, no commercialism. It was just baby Jesus with such a great amount to live up to and a poor mother and father with such a great amount of fear. Mary and Joseph had very little to offer Jesus except their love and support, and I find that one of the biggest lessons of the story. Even those who think they have nothing to give have something. Not all presents come in a tangible form, and sometimes the most important kinds are priceless. But, the thing is, they gave their everything for a baby that God gave them. Showing their loyalty to their creator and towards their new child means the world, and if that didn’t happen, it’s unimaginable where we would be now.
I love Christmas; it’s one of my favorite holidays. I love celebrating the birth of the child of God with my family, and even when we lose sight of why we are celebrating, we still hit the main point. We always remember to celebrate the love of a family and giving our all even when we think we have nothing to give. Just something to keep in mind as we embark into our Christmas season.
Sincerely Sydney
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