I’m a grinch. I get grumpy at Christmas. I hate (*hate!*) Christmas music. We put out outside lights (I enjoy doing that because my parents never really did when I was growing up), but we are *not* putting up a tree (Edit 2009/12/09 – ok, so we put up a TINY one – see pics). But here’s the thing: I actually like Christmas. Christmas eve and Christmas day. We used to go to my grandmother’s house on Christmas eve, then a lot of the family would come to my parents’ house on Christmas day in the evening. There was good food, family, and a lot of pitch.
And I hate to be one of those people that says “It’s the *commercialism* of it all—but really it is. Well that’s part of it. Christmas is almost concurrent with Halloween. Skeletons and witch hats are just in front of the plastic Santas. Having worked in retail for a few years did not help. Christmastime is just horrible, and the weeks following are just as bad (returns and people who are mean about them). I celebrate Christmas secularly (which, let’s me honest, most of us do), and it always rubbed me the wrong way when you could tell people went out of their way to say “Merry Christmas” instead of Happy Holidays or whatever. I celebrate it, too, but you can tell when someone is a “war on Christmas” type and feels that it’s their duty to spread Christmas cheer whether you like it or not. While, you know, buying 6 pairs of jeans for their whining granddaughter.
Plus, do people ask in February if you’ve started doing you Easter shopping? In August if you’re ready for Halloween? I like the Christmas holiday, I don’t like the Christmas *season*. It’s just too much. Everywhere you go the generic adult contemporary has been changed to Christmas music. I have to hear “Chestnuts Roasting Over an Open Fire” while filling up my tank (and really, how many Christmas songs are there? I feel like there are about 15 with 7,593 versions of each – the worst is that one by the Waitresses). There’s garland in the grocery store, and again the clerks say “Merry Christmas!” when I buy my milk (What if I was Jewish? Would I be offended? It IS rather presumptuous.) It’s just. too. much.
So this year hubby and I decided no tree. We’re only really going to do stockings for each other anyway. We buy what we want, and we’d rather save up for a trip early next year (when I will *hopefully* have an extra week of leave for my 5th year with my employer). I enjoy buying gifts for those I can buy gifts for: my parents, for example. I like getting people things I think they’ll like. But when you feel like you have to have “enough” for someone or spend a certain amount, it gets tedious and just seems to be missing the point (fwiw, all of my shopping so far has been done online). We’ve had real trees since we moved in. Our house is very small, and though we now have a shed to store a fake one in, it’s still space better used elsewhere. A big tree in our living room just gets obnoxious quickly, and a small one seems pointless. The first year the tree was lovely, but last year it browned quickly and I think every single needle fell out before I got it out the door after the holiday.
So, grinchiness aside, let’s take a look at current and past Christmases at the jennahsgarden household.
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- 2009 outside lights in twilight
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- Behold: THE TREE (it’s over there on the right…)
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- See? There it is. Lovely!
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- 2009 front porch closeup
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- 2009 back deck wreath closeup (bow by me!)
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- Wow, I need a better pic of this – but this is the outside of the house this year.
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- Last year I made these mosaic Christmas balls for people.
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- 2008 xmas tree, which ended up crooked and dry.
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- 2007 xmas – pretty tree!…that takes up the whoe living room.
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- 2006 xmas – our first one married when we lived in my inlaws’ basement still.
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Yeah, I’m not doing a tree this year, either. No decorations, etc. You know, I’ve thought about all of this a lot this year, because my mom is really into decorations and getting gifts. I’d rather drive around and look at the lights, listen to Christmas music, maybe take a garden tour, and drink starbucks. (Weird assortment, I know.)
Then, I read an article somewhere–maybe from Huffington Post? About your “showing love” language. There were five types including talking, touching, gifting, and some others. Well, I’m in the “spending time” category or “talking” category, and my mom’s in the “gifting” category. It is like we are speaking a different language.
Now, I kind of miss turning on the tree lights, but I won’t be here very long this year, so what was the point of the mess.
So, I don’t think you are a grinch. You just speak a different Christmas language.
Thanks – I love that interpretation! If we had kids it might be different as well, but I don’t think the cats care much. Glad I’m not the only one!
I’m so sorry that you have such a miserable time this time of year. It is certainly not meant to be that way. It really has lost so much of it’s meaning in so many homes. I don’t blame you for not putting up a tree either. But I do think that when people say, “Merry Christmas” and ask about shopping that they are trying to be pleasant and not trying to aggravate. But to each his own. I do hope at some point that you will enjoy this time of year.
One of my very favorite things about Christmas used to be “going to get the tree.” We never got them early so it added excitement for us as little children when we finally got one. My Mom, your Granny Batts, would ride us around a few days close to Christmas Day to look at lights. It was just very simple then and so exciting to see a tree lit up in a window here and there. My first recollection of that is actually when we lived in Maryland. Very fond memories and I’m grateful Granny gave those to us!
Cute and very easy to take down and put away. Come and help me decorate ours. I miss you doing that.<3
Driving around and looking at lights was always one of my favorite things! There was actually a house on the way to my grandparents (Mom Mom and Pop Pop) that I always used to LOVE as a kid because they put a ton of stuff in the yard – now, go figure, I live on that road so the house is at the end of my street! (And they still put all the stuff out!)
I remember being in Rocky Mount for one Christmas when we stayed with Granny. I don’t remember the Powell Drive house that well, but I remember there being a cute little Christmas tree with a big bow (as I recall) in the corner of the living room! Gotta love Battsmas
I am sooo with you on this. The “holiday season” is a flipping nightmare. You can’t just pop into the mall really quick to find a Friday night outfit or anything for that matter. And I loath trying to figure out gifts for people who insist on buying me things. I wish we could decorate (because I love the pretty lights) and just have another big Thanksgiving type dinner to see family. I love your mini tree this year. Mine is very similar. Now I know I’m reading too far into this, but at work when patients leave, I say, “have a nice day.” During this time of year, they mostly all say, “Have a Happy Holiday,” or the equivalent. It’s like they’re trying to one-up me! Those there’s my bitter Betty rant. That being said, I do hope you and yours are having a great season, ect…