The sight of twinkling lights, the smell of cocoa, pine, and peppermint, the sound effervescent giggles, and the feel of not quite cold weather (this is San Antonio after all) can all only mean one thing: Christmas time is here.
Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year, but the holiday itself holds no great excitement for me. Rather, it is the season that enthralls and enchants me. Once Halloween has passed, the season starts creeping in. Well, maybe "creeping" isn't the right word; the season practically explodes after Halloween, blowing up to encompass as much of our world as possible. From the radio stations, to advertisements, to practically every store, Christmas is suddenly everywhere all at once.
Containing myself is no simple task. As much as I adore Christmas time, I pace myself instead of diving in headfirst. After Halloween is Thanksgiving, and as such, the only Christmas-y thing I allow is music that's festive but not outright Christmas: The Vince Guaraldi Trio Charlie Brown Holiday cd, and George Winston's Winter cd. Not so patiently, I wait for Thanksgiving to finally pass. Like a child counting the minutes on Christmas Eve, willing time to pass so they may wake up to presents already, I eagerly count down the days till Thanksgiving is here so that it may pass and let Christmas time be. While the day after for most is Black Friday, shopping galore, the day after for me is the official first day of Christmas. And just as the season explodes after Halloween, so too does my heart explode with an energy akin to that of Buddy the Elf.
Classic Christmas music, in the style of Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, and Andy Williams, is blasted in every room of the house. Sugar and cinnamon flow around the kitchen and culminate in the house until no one can leave without having the sweet scent imprinted upon them. The decorations are brought out of the closet, and with a wave of my Christmas wand the house becomes a winter wonderland: snowflakes, garland, lights, bows, and displays are set all throughout the house leaving no corner without a little Christmas magic. This magic seeps from everyone, and all around the world is transformed into a holiday extravaganza.
Festive jewelry, t-shirts, and Christmas colors are worn by the more subtle holiday lovers while Santa hats, reindeer antlers, and elf ears grace the head of the more daring, and for the flamboyant: tacky, glorious Christmas sweaters. Everywhere you go, there are lights and garland and wreaths adding a little holiday flare. And everywhere you go, there is holiday music that people sing along to off-key. The holiday feels fill the air and swirl all around spreading joy and warmth wherever they flow. It is truly magical, the way we all submerge ourselves into the season.
Kitchens begin to overflow with baked goods: pies, cookies, and little treats to give out to everyone. Living rooms begin to fill up with the scent of pine and the sight of presents from relatives. Everywhere you go feels warm and full and alive in a way that it's never been before this time of year. It's as though the world lay in quiet slumber, resting up just for this time of year when it awakes and dances all around.
This is why I love the season, and not so much the holiday. The season glows and shines its whimsical light on everything all around, keeping everyone in a constant state of excitement until Christmas Day finally arrives. The holiday itself is a day that comes and goes with little fanfare: opening presents, at most, takes maybe an hour or so(depending on how many relatives you open presents with) and the rest of the day is spent cooking and eating, and trying to avoid awkward conversation with relatives you hardly ever see. The season, however, is weeks that go by with spectacularly loud and illustrious fanfare, fit to announce the highest of royalty: every day is filled with preparation and anticipation all for this one little day. That atmosphere, that buzzing joyous air, is what makes this season so captivating.
So, rather than wait till the days before Winter Break to wish you all a Happy Holiday, may I now wish you all a Joyous Season. May every day from now till Christmas Day be filled with excitement, sugar, copious amounts of decorations, and an endless spark that can only be described as that Christmas feeling.
