Last night I looked out the front windows to see Christmas lights in all directions--'candles' in the windows directly across the street, lights outlining the roof line at another, light-adorned shrubbery at at third--everwhere I looked were Christmas decorations. Apparently all my neighbor used Thanksgiving Day as an opportune time to get ready for Christmas.
Actually these weren't the first decorations I'd seen; last week while driving to get a haircut I passed a yard adorned on the one side with a huge inflatable turkey, and on the other with an equally large (and obnoxious) Santa.
I guess I'm old-fashioned; certainly my outlook is affected by my occupation, but it's also shaped by tradition, and that tradition holds that Christmas BEGINS on December 24, and culminates on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6. Clearly I am out of step with 'popular culture.' But oh, how I wshed morre people observed Advent. I wish we could celebrate Thanksgiving without being caught up in the materialism and hoopla of the season to comes--things that really have very little to do with the real reason for Christmas.
5 comments:
We were visiting Politica's father a few weeks ago, and I noticed that in *early* November, the mall had its big central Santa's workshop set up already--and a sign saying that Santa would be there on weekends starting November 11! Ridiculous.
When I was growing up, my parents followed the tradition from my mother's family: Santa arrived, with the tree, trimmings, and presents, while we kids were sleeping. (I can't imagine how little sleep my parents got that night). It was pretty cool from a kid's point of view, though.
Amen
I usually get there gradually, but this year the tree is either going to arrive tonight or not until Christmas week. I'd rather have it sooner, because I like the lights in the house when it's so dark. We'll probably wait another week or two to put ornaments on the tree.
Me too.
I like the traditions that encourage community -- like everyone in the village gathering for a tree-lighting ceremony. But all the stuff that just encourages consumerism -- ugh.
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