Is anyone else annoyed with Christmas? I should rephrase that. Is anyone else annoyed with what the world is doing to Christmas? I love Christmas, but I also love Thanksgiving. So, I love Christmas starting December 1st. I'm a huge fan of celebrating Advent more so than Christmas, I guess. I know I should be used to the fact that the world takes everything overboard, and, for the most, part I am...and I just ignore it. Excessive Christmasness {yah, totally made that word up} is kinda hard to ignore, though.
I mean, really, do we need to put up Christmas decorations the day after Halloween? Do we need to send out the Black Friday ads three weeks early? As if they don't bombard us enough with all the things we should be doing and buying for each other to make Christmas magic and memorable, they've got to start doing it a month earlier? How are Mark and I supposed to teach our kids to find the magic in the ultimate gift that was given to them in this environment? Seriously, I'm asking.
I feel like maybe if we took the time to focus more on Thanksgiving and how much we really have, then maybe we wouldn't feel such a need to be so excessively materialistic at Christmas. I keep hearing people {including myself} say they're going simple, but it sure doesn't look like it. I feel the pressure to have gifts for teachers {school and church}, busdrivers, mail carriers, neighbors, etc. Am I scrooge for opting out {cuz I feel like one sometimes}? Is a kid-made card and a couple homemade cookies enough to spread the joy of Christmas? Again...seriously, I'm asking.
I do love to give at Christmas. I just love to give to people who aren't getting. I love taking the $100 we could have spent on gift cards for the above mentioned people in our lives and putting it into 4 Operation Christmas Child boxes instead. I love that mine and Mark's siblings are all either in situations where they can't or don't want to exchange gifts, and we can put that money towards buying goats and chickens for a starving family in another country or to buying some gifts for a child in our own town whose family needs help.
Reading over this, I feel like it sounds prideful. I'm not trying to toot my horn about how much we're giving, or say that if you give gifts to your kids' teachers you've got it all wrong...or even that if you break out the Christmas lights and music pre-Thanksgiving your messing with the meaning of Christmas.
I guess I'm just venting about what feelings the season stirs up in me, and, once again, trying to find that balance between scroogeyness {how in the world should I spell that?} and excessiveness. Have you found it?
3 comments:
Ugh, Val, I SO know what you mean...I hate that I dislike Christmas because of all the pressure and excess that goes along with it. I'm not even close to being where I'd like to be with this, but I echo what you wrote. To be honest, I think the hardest part is to find the courage to live differently. The pleaser in me fails repeatedly at that. Thanks for writing...it's encouraging to know that I'm not alone.
honey, you weren't a "spoiled" child...and you are not a "spoiled" adult. What is going on around you is "profusion" and it should effect you...but not to the point that it ruins your holiday...you've held on to the true meaning, the simple joys, and have developed some fun and meaningful traditions...I hate to tell you but these are your "good old days"...you'll look back one day and sigh at the hyper clock and wish for days gone by...ENJOY the sweetness of the moment...love, mom
I LOVE Christmas time... I have my tree up already (this is the first time that we've ever put it up this early), but I wouldn't say that we're excessive at all. All we will put up is a tree and some stockings. We don't go crazy at Christmas and buy everyone and their dog gifts... we try to make as much as we can (things that are special to people), we focus on the true meaning of the holiday, we have simple traditions, and as a family, we give to those who don't have. I think it's all in the heart. If you're focusing on doing things to appear a certain way, then there is a problem. If you're giving to please others, then there's a problem. But there is nothing wrong with enjoying the season (and even starting a little early :). And if you choose not to, that's okay, but not everyone is the same :).
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