Ah yes, tis the season. Christmas music pumped through every speaker in every store. Snow on the ground.My sister starts playing Christmas music in July. I love giving presents to my friends and family. And, I do love getting presents from them, too. I love the idea that someone was thinking of me when they were shopping or even, when they didn't have to be thinking of me and found something that they just knew I had to have. I find stuff like that all the time and think "Oh, my friend would LOVE this!"
But what it comes down to is that I really don't like Christmas. I was in the store the other day looking for wrapping paper. I walked to the Christmas section with trepidation and located the wrapping paper. I looked for a bit and had to bolt. I just HAD to get out of there. I hate it! The paper was either too cute, too themed (to something that of course someone is making lots of money off of), or too expensive. I couldn't buy any paper. I just couldn't.
When I was little, Dad and I used to protest the buying of a Christmas tree. Neither of us liked the idea of killing a tree to put it in the living room and watch the needles slowly dry up and fall to the floor. Neither of us saw the purpose of decorating the house and the trees with lights. We didn't mind Christmas stocking or presents and we both love to give gifts. We just hate all the fuss.
Now EVERY holiday has to be celebrated by excessive spending and decorating. I just can't do it. I have my little nativity scene sitting on my shelf year round. I don't mind holidays, I really don't. My favorites are the non-governmental ones, though. Like Arbor Day and my birthday. But the commercialism and the unnecessary "stuff" that has to go with the new holidays is just out of control.
Holidays don't exist anymore. They've been replaced by blatant commercialism in a "gimmie-centric" world.
2 comments:
I have to admit, we haven't decorated the house for the holidays since we moved here, and I miss it. I find winter depressing without all the festive lights and sparkles.
That said, wrapping paper is useless. It's expensive, ugly, cutesie (one of the downfalls of American culture, I think) and wasteful. It exists almost solely for the purpose of being discarded.
A friend of mine uses colorful scarves from secondhand stores for giftwrap. They're pretty and unusual and reuseable. Paper grocery bags are also a fun choice. Especially if you decorate them yourself.
Merry Christmas, Maaike. I hope you're having a lovely time.
Post a Comment