It's officially November. There's no doubt about it. The end of the year is upon us and I don't know how to feel about it.
You always know when the "holiday season" starts. Usually, it's 12:01 am on November 1. Some people are CRAZY crazy and immediately jump on the "holiday season" bandwagon on October 1, what with Halloween about to bring in the spooky vibes. And just a heads up, in my world, "holiday season" skips Thanksgiving. If you're big on social media and following meme accounts, you'll notice the change of season when posts like this show up:
Any fellow Bob's Burgers fans? Instagram
"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear."Instagram
But even if you're not a millennial who spends all their waking hours on a device, you should start to notice the Christmas spirit pop up. For example, just today, Starbucks debuted their new reusable red Christmas cup today. Their normal coffee cups have also switched over to the winter seasonal theme in red and green. But hey, maybe you're not a coffee drinker. You should still be hit with a blast of Christmas if you basically step foot into any local grocery store. You know, the whole "Seasonal Items" section gets flooded with ornaments and candy canes. Walmart is the most extra of grocery stores- once the temperature dips below 70 degrees in Georgia, BAM- Christmas trees take over the Garden Center. The colder weather just makes everyone want to curl up with a blanket and hot chocolate, regardless of the fact that it's two months before actual Christmas.
While I love when Kroger puts out their Peppermint Hershey Kiss Candy Canes so early, I also sometimes feel a little nauseous when the scent of pine and cinnamon blasts me whenever I go shopping. I'm all for the long breaks and seasonal treats, but sometimes, I don't really see the whole appeal of it all.
For one, my family doesn't really celebrate Christmas. The whole gift-giving, gingerbread house-making, cookie-decorating atmosphere does not fill our home. But having assimilated in the US after living here for 16 years, I can't help but try to partake in the fun sometimes. When I was seven, I was set on forcing my family to celebrate Christmas. I made them spend like, thirty dollars on a little mini fake Christmas tree that I decorated and set up in our tiny living in student housing. And because we're brown, I set out Indian biscuits (cookies) for Santa instead of chocolate chip and apple juice (the best juice) instead of milk...and some after-snack gum. I wrote a whole letter and everything. The excitement of receiving presents was pumping through my veins when I went to sleep that night; I woke up around 10 pm because I figured Santa was punctual and would have handled his business in a timely manner, only to find my parents both watching TV on the couch and the floor beneath our knockoff Christmas tree spotless. Cue the inevitable conversation:
Me: "Uh, where are the presents from Santa?"
The parentals: "Santa's not real, we don't celebrate Christmas, and go to bed."
I was livid. Little me threw a tantrum and dragged my poor parents out to Walmart to buy me the My Little Pony Ponyville: Pinkie Pie's Balloon House for about $150. I didn't care.
That was the first and last year I tried to do that. Well, I mean, after that, we would still set up the tree and pretend to be white, but it was never the same. Starting in middle school, I would go out of my way to spend close to $100 on presents for my friends in hopes that I would get some in return through them...that didn't happen either but I stuck with the gift giving spirit. Karma would work out in my favor, right?
Eventually, I dropped the whole "mom, dad, please let's be fake and celebrate Christmas" and just asked for what I wanted. As long as it was a valid want, they got me the present I needed. Present, singular, by the way. I realized I didn't need all the fun stuff because it would probably end up in the trash later anyway. But I will still gladly accept salted caramel treats, hot chocolate, Peppermint Hershey Kisses, and fuzzy socks. And that's not to say I won't try to emulate the holiday when I make my own money as an adult, but for now, ya girl's not really cheerleading for St. Nick to pop by my house.
I do indulge myself once in a while and volunteer to be the Christmas Elf at the Lyndon House Arts Center for their December Holiday House. I also manage the Gingerbread House making section, and I make sure to take home the leftovers to make my own Gingerbread Mansion. But I always feel like Buddy the Elf when I put on that costume on my 5 foot 9 body. Cue picture.
Me.Instagram
Now that's all the more advertise-y, materialistic side of Christmas spirit that initially pops up. But here's where the mixed feelings come in. I'm a musician, and I play violin and sing. So naturally, I've been in quite a few ensembles and you fellow musicians know that as soon as the "Fall Concert" era is over, it's Christmas Carols and Medleys until we die. And I love it. I will sing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and blast Mistletoe by Justin Bieber on the aux cord without a second thought. Not to mention, Christmas & Chill by Ariana Grande is the BEST Christmas album. Actually, here's the top 10 Christmas songs to get you in the mood of merriness:
1) Last Christmas by WHAM!
2) All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey
3) Mistletoe by Justin Bieber
4) Santa Tell Me by Ariana Grande
5) Holly Jolly Christmas by Michael Buble
*Go listen to Ariana and Michael's cover of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town for extra holiday feels*
6) Snow in California by Ariana Grande
7) White Winter Hymnal by Pentatonix
8) Winter Wonderland
9) Merry Christmas Darling by Christina Perri
10) White Christmas
The same enthusiasm goes for movies and TV shows; How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Home Alone are timeless legends that deserve to be watched the second that you need to put on a light sweater to step outside your house.
It just makes me content to see other people really embrace the holidays. It's a time of sharing and family and just a really great season. So here's to this year- may your days be merry and bright while your wallet remains empty and light. Just kidding, let's get this gingerbread.