Last weekend, I was waiting in a checkout line, clutching a few Christmas gifts and wondering how many Reese trees I really wanted when I heard the familiar chime of jingle bells overhead. Although Christmas music had been playing the duration of my shopping, I only recognized its irony as I pulled out my wallet, a warm voice singing, "You better watch out. You better not cry. Better not pout, I'm telling you why. Santa Claus is coming to town!"
"Who the hell are they kidding?" I wondered silently.
Santa Claus was definitely not coming to town, hence everyone else in the store and I waiting to trade cash or plastic for everything we held. The customers behind me and those to either side in other checkout lines had various items, which, if wrapped, could easily be given as gifts: DVDs, a digital camera, a purse. These items may be purchased "lovingly" and wrapped diligently, topped with a bow, and finally given to their recipient with a smile or a "Merry Christmas."
Back when I was missing my two front teeth, I had no qualms greedily accepting a Creepy Crawlers kit or Batman action figures, but the older I get, the guiltier I feel. When I was younger, Christmas day was what I looked forward to most; as much as I loved sledding, hot chocolate and all the multi-colored lights, I mostly wanted all that "stuff" beneath the tree. Now, I'm more apt to appreciate the season of Christmas, as consumer-driven as it is, than the climactic ripping of the wrapping paper.
As trite a statement as it may be, it's better to enjoy the season of Christmas, whether it's celebrated religiously, with family or without, or with all the American bells and whistles. The season itself lasts longer than the single day it glorifies, and within the post-Thanksgiving world of Santa, there's a lot to enjoy.
I'm of the opinion that if it's cold outside, then it might as well snow, too; I like how snow sets the mood and somehow authenticates December. A friend of mine who appreciates the sight of snow also understands its practical rewards — the inevitable sidewalk slipping and student sliding that can be either embarrassing or funny. And really, everyone takes an icy misstep each year, and understanding it's inevitable, just laugh, get up and keep walking — assuming you haven't broken your tailbone.
Christmas is one of those decoration-extreme holidays. Some people don't decorate or just hang the token icicle lights to say "At least we did something," while others understand decorating as a competitive sport. The latter houses are the most rewarding to see, as their designers truly embrace the tackiness of the season and depict Santa sans reindeer and arriving via helicopter, in addition to life-size nativity scenes and a couple of lawn inflatables. When I was younger, my family and I visited a house so festively adorned it drew enough onlookers that the owner ran a profitable gift shop out of his living room.
With Christmas comes a variety of programs and shows, to be experienced with friends or family, innumerable theatrical productions of "A Christmas Carol," religious programs and presentations and, of course, "A Christmas Story" is on every other channel. My fourth-grade cousin Connor told me over Thanksgiving that he's participating in his school's Christmas program and, fondly recalling the spectacle of my own elementary's holiday program, I'm looking forward to seeing him as an elf. Like any major holiday, Christmas is family-oriented, and like any family-oriented holiday, there's usually alcohol. Take time to appreciate the family you have, but if such an appreciation is foreign to your palette, holiday wine and adult-only eggnog may help.
Although the Christmas spirit doesn't envelop me like it did when I still rode a bus to school, the season is still one of my favorites, if for nothing else than all the decorations and the reprieve from school. It's the last holiday season of the year and the hope is that we'll retain our merry outlooks — if we had them to begin with — as we approach a new year. As Christmas-centric as my writing here has been, I recognize there are probably as many similar ways to celebrate other holidays occurring around this time, but despite whichever holiday you do or do not celebrate, take time to enjoy the season, the snow and all the extra sweets.
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