Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. It's a beautiful season and, as a Christian, for me it holds a special significance. There's a humility in the holiday that reminds us of how important it is to be thankful and love others and to be generous and kind.
It's also a corporate, grossly capitalistic nightmare that encourages the masses to overspend and give in to the ever-present seduction of all-consuming materialism...
That was a joke. Kind of. Right. Moving on.
Some people get really, really into the Christmas season. Like my mom, for example. She redecorates her entire house, complete with Christmas blankets and pillows she brings out specifically for this time of year. Every inch of my parents' downstairs is beautifully decorated with Christmas-themed decor and trimmings and it really does look beautiful. I am always impressed by her ability to redo the whole house in a mere matter of hours.
I did not inherit that same Christmas spirit. I won't lie, I do love sweaters and hot cocoa and Christmas movies and I will play Andy Williams' holiday albums on repeat. But, that's pretty much it for me. I am not super into holiday parties. I am not someone who relishes in the holiday shopping experience. I very rarely will sit down and binge a Christmas-themed movie (with the exception of Elf but that movie is good year round). And that's fine.
I have been told many, many times in my life that because I prefer pragmatism, I'm cold. I don't know if that's because we are still basically in the emotionally driven Romantic Era in regards to our thinking, or because people expect women to be a certain way, or what. If you ask me what I want for Christmas, I will say something along the lines of, "Gift card, please." And, I will tell you exactly where I want that gift card to be for. Don't want to get a gift card to a place I never go to. That would be awkward. I am not a mystery. I won't make you guess. I will tell you flat out what I am in need of. I prefer gifts I can use. If you give me socks, I will be thrilled. I always need new socks. That's just who I am.
Not everyone is like this, a fact I respect and take into consideration when I shop for others. Some people like surprises, some people like sentimental gifts, some people are fine with gift cards. Depends on the person. We are all different. That's part of Christmas, respecting differences and allowing judgment to give way to unity.
But, a massive reason as to why I am not more "festive" during the holiday season is because I prefer being dead to expectations. What I mean by that is I find I am happier, more content, and far more balanced when I refuse to expect a certain thing. I try to be present and accept what is, something I believe people often forget to do at Christmas. They build expectations for everything, from their Christmas parties to how their kids are going to react to the presents they bought, etc. They build up an idea of Christmas.
Thousands of years ago, the Jewish population of the Roman Empire did the same. They had specific expectations of what their long awaited Savior was going to be. And He ended up being a very small, very fragile newborn in the middle of a smelly barn. Defied expectation.
I want that to be what my Christmas is anchored in. I don't want to build up an idea of what it should be. I just want to enjoy it it for what it is. It's a time to be with family and friends and reflect on how time is passing us by and where our lives are going.
For me, it doesn't require the perfect fireplace mantle setup. It's fine the way it is. But for others, part of the joy is building their nativities or hanging their lights. And that's fine too. It's about how we individually celebrate that matters. Not one size fits all.
