It seems like Thanksgiving barely happened and we were already getting jammed with Christmas music, commercials, ads, everything. It doesn't seem to make the holiday festive so much as even more stressful. Money's tight to begin with, and dealing with the insanity of stores doesn't put me in the joy of Christmas so much as panicking creeping in.
There's no build up to Christmas. It's just getting crammed down our throats, especially with the Christmas music being played right after Halloween and the Home Alone marathons over and over again. It's not about the Christmas spirit anymore, it's all about the gifts, how much one person spends and the amount of gifts given.
It's a different dynamic than when we were kids. The build up to Christmas was exciting and agonizing, just waiting for the stores to begin stocking Christmas items and the toy commercials to come on. We were totally obsessed, and every day the excitement grew, until finally Christmas Day came and we were up at 4 a.m. hoping Santa came through with that 10-speed bike. We tore through those gifts in about five minutes and then crashed out for the rest of the day.
Being a kid in the 1990s, and an only kid to boot, I was a spoiled brat. I freely admit that, because not only did I have my mother and father spoiling the hell out of me, but my aunts also did a job too. My cousins and I got clothes, toys, whatever we asked Santa for, and believe me, when it came time to share what we got for Christmas after vacation in school, we had major bragging rights going. We didn't understand charity or anything like that. We were the little monsters drooling on the television and begging for things after Christmas. And the threats of having our gifts returned to Santa didn't stop us so much, as we kicked up the whining even more.
I think because I'm older now and understand the world better, I don't feel as joyous as I should. I have a lot to be grateful for, it's just there's so little time for getting things done, and the worry that I won't be done, and I'll be missing a gift, is nerve-racking.
Besides, with my aunts gone, there's really a piece of Christmas missing. I think I'd feel different if I had my own baby, because there's nothing like a little one on Christmas to give a house that feeling of a true Christmas.
Are you excited for Christmas this year? Or are you like me, dragging your feet?