Christmas. The day we celebrate the birth of Jesus, enjoy time with family and friends and exchange tokens of love and appreciation. When we were kids, Thanksgiving weekend kicked off the Christmas season. Sales ran the week or two before Christmas. Holiday lights brightened neighborhoods from mid-December until New Years weekend. Advent calenders were the only way to countdown to Christmas and they only listed 25 days. Black Friday was normal, day off of work, sleep off the abundance of food you consumed the day before Friday. Somewhere along the way, that all changed. I blame it on the Cabbage Patch Kids.
But really, it was a simpler time. Wow, I sound like Grandma Ray. Now, Christmas season starts showing its face when back to school season ends. Long before we trick or treat, the plastic pumpkins are have been replaced with shiny bulbs, a rainbow of Christmas trees and baby's first Christmas personalized stocking/hat/diaper cover/bib/socks/teddy bear/onsie. And you can buy matching one for mom.
Unfortunately, I think it makes some of us immune to the season. Pretty soon, there will be Santa blow ups in yards as the tulips bloom. My only hope is that as the boys grow up and start traditions of their own, they remember the reason for the season and that the season isn't supposed to start until Thanksgiving!
PS. Who buys this stuff? Really, a 20 foot blow up snowman?
Ah come on? You guys have plenty of room for one or maybe three!
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, I agree. The commercialism of the holiday has gotten way out of hand. The boys will remember your traditions. They will add some of yours to theirs and include you in their new ones. Time marches by, but our children still remember...trust me, my grown children remind me every year!