I am going to say it once again. It's an annual thing with me. I absolutely hate the Christmas season. Andy Williams needs to tell the truth. It's the most miserable time of the year.
The single factor that makes it the most miserable for me is the quality of daylight. It is dark until 8 AM, then it's overcast and dim throughout the day and then it gets dark at 4:30 PM. It's so depressing. Maybe I need to live somewhere on the equator where the daylight hours are exactly 12.
Another factor that comes into play is work. The two weeks that are the absolute worst in my business calendar begins on Monday. It is going to be pure hell. Fourteen hour days and little sleep.
Then there is my father. He is in long term care right now. He recently had hip surgery. He has not fully recovered. It takes two people and a lift to get him on the toilet and some people think I should bring him to the family Christmas celebration. He could not even get in my truck. He could not even get into the Highlander. It would make him miserable because he still seems to have a lot of pain. I will not even be trying. I apologize. I just can't do that to him.
I also hate the furious, driven nature of the holiday. People are crazy this time of year, shopping till they drop and in a feeding frenzy. I was supposed to go to dinner with some friends Sunday night, but I backed out. It is going to be nasty cold. There will be hundreds of people out Christmas shopping and then cramming themselves into crowded restaurants before they go home.
I just feel trapped by it all. Thankfully, the day is coming when I will be able to leave Iowa at this time of year. Get the flock outta Dodge...
People change at this time of year. I know I do. They become more polite. They pretend an artificial kindness. Inversely, I become nauseated by it all and withdraw.
There are the Christmas people. The get all invigorated and full of life at this time of year, brimming with optimism, faux joy and materialism. The odd thing is that when someone like me expresses a need to be alone or offers that it might not be so much fun, the Christmas people start name calling and shaming.
SCROOGE!
Ya, real good. Someone is down and does not hold the same opinion as you do about the season and so you turn on them. Just great. Lighten up ok! It is not Jesus' birthday. Anyone that has studied history knows this, so back off. This is a pagan, materialistic holiday. The winter solstice and Saturnalia. The symbolism of the wreath, the Christmas tree, the mistletoe and the yule log all come from dead pagan religions. The cult of the sun was celebrated in the Roman empire at this time every year. Then a Roman emperor turned Christian decided to create a celebration of Christ's birth around the same time period so that everyone could have a few days off. The result was syncretism of Christianity and pagan cults. They did the same thing with resurrection Sunday (Easter to pagans) and the vernal equinox, but that will have to wait for another blog post.
There is also the cultural and economic elements of it. People want to feel good despite the lack of daylight so they give and expect presents and businesses are more than happy to take advantage of that. They start pushing Christmas in September. Show them Your Money! Ya, that's their Christmas cheer.
How about some consistency people? Give of yourself year round and expect nothing in return. That is what Jesus did. What better way to celebrate Jesus; but no, we can't do that.
All right all you Christmas Nazis, exchange your presents and move on. Merry Christmas to you. Now get out
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Be Gentle.