Hey! Christmas is next week! Wait, what? It’s not? Well with all these crazy shoppers and Christmas music all last week I figure it was already here. And that’s a problem for me. People get started so early and go so hard that it kills my holiday spirit. That is probably a “me” problem, but what if it’s not?
Are we in love with the season and what it’s all about, or are we in love with the idea of the season that we miss the point?
I know some people are just built for this time of year. They love the weather, the food, the music, and even the shopping. Many of them are in it for the right reasons even. But I think a little of the luster is taken of when we get started so early.
For me, the holidays really begin the week of Christmas. It’s a special time. I look forward to Christmas Eve with the whole family. I look forward to Christmas day with Evette and the kids. I just find it crazy to try and manufacture those good times and feelings more than a month ahead of time before Thanksgiving dinner has even been cleaned of the table! I can hardly stand to listen to Christmas music that week because we’ve been bombarded with it for 4-5 weeks already!
I know, I am probably a Scrooge, and I am most likely the one with the problem here. It just seems like we overdo and force it. I wonder if it could be a more special, more precious time if we slowed down and let Christmas come to us and not do everything we can to make it happen now?
All of this said, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays a few weeks early! :)
A couple of years ago I started focusing on Advent, and that has helped me deal with the commercialism and over hype.
Posted by: Fred | November 29, 2009 at 09:49 PM
I must be a scrooge too. I feel the same way.
Posted by: rick | November 29, 2009 at 09:58 PM
Like Fred, I have personally found that celebrating Advent defuses the crankiness I feel with regard to the commercial aspects of Christmas. Tonight was the first night of Advent. As a family we gather together each Sunday night and read a few verses as well as light a candle on the advent wreath. Last year I ordered a really great book focused around Advent. It really transformed my thinking and I found myself really into the holiday season and filled with gratitude as a result of reading it. The book was called Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas by Nancy Guthrie. You can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_0_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=come+now+long+expected+jesus&sprefix=come+now+
Posted by: kristine | November 30, 2009 at 12:29 AM