Dear “Christmas” Holiday Season,
Someone did a search for Bah Humbug Pants and found my blog and I laughed a little, because that is exactly how I feel and it’s not even December yet.
I used to love Christmas when I was little because it meant no school! and seeing family! and NO SCHOOL! and presents! Did I mention the part about no school?
When I was really little we would go to the States to visit my dad’s family for Christmas. Grandpa would go pick out a Christmas tree that would sit on the front porch and Grandma would have plain colored glass ball ornaments that we would decorate horribly with all kinds different colored glitter and glue and then hang them on the tree. We’d string (read: clump) silver icicles on the tree and put a star on top and be really proud of our handiwork. Inevitably, it would storm really hard or get really windy and knock the tree over and break most of the ornaments. By the time Christmas rolled around, most of the ornaments would be gone, but we didn’t really care because the fun part had already happened. Christmas day, we would all load up in the car and drive to my Aunt Betty’s house and celebrate Christmas with her and all her kids and their families. We’d open presents and eat Brunswick stew and then take a nap at some point in the afternoon. It was great.
As we got older, we spent more Christmases at home in Saudi. Especially after my sister and I left to go to boarding school. We’d spend Christmas at home with our parents and friends who were back for the holidays and we’d go to the pool and sleep the day away there and then stay up at night watching movies and/or listening to music and hanging out. We’d get together with friends and sing Christmas carols and laugh about singing about snow in the desert. We’d spend Christmas day on the beach with friends all day and then go home and eat a big meal together. Two or three families all together. It was always about the PEOPLE not about the STUFF. Those are some of my favorite memories.
The point I’m trying make in a very long and drawn out manner is that there wasn’t a lot of commercialism involved in my Christmases as a child. I’m not saying that we didn’t want dolls or toys or anything like that. We did, but that wasn’t where the emphasis was. The emphasis was on family. On spending time with one another. Making memories to last a lifetime. That was where the emphasis was. I remember terrific parties and fun activities. There was no stress about buying this particular present or how many or even what we got. A lot of times, we’d get stuff for Christmas that we needed for the year. Sports equipment for me, ballet stuff for my sister, clothes, and some fun stuff too. Mostly though, we got what we needed more so than what we wanted.
Now that I live in the States, I have found myself hating the “Christmas” season more and more every year. There’s too much running around and stressing out about buying crap that in 2 or 3 months (if that!) won’t get used, will be forgotten or tossed out or exchanged. We become so obsessed with things that we forget the really important stuff. The people.
Family. Friends. Loved ones. Isn’t that what this whole holiday crap is all about?
When did it become “What did you GET for Christmas?” instead of “What did you DO for Christmas?” When you’re a kid, you think that what’s important is what you got, but I can honestly tell you there is maybe one, maybe two presents that stand out collectively over many years to me as far as what I GOT. What I truly REMEMBER are the things we DID not the thing I got. Those are the things I hold most dear to my heart.
I guess you can just consider this my big FUCK YOU to this Commercialized Capitalist Pig Holiday. I’m quitting you.
Love,
Bah Humbug Pants
Hear Hear! And you can control how it affects your family. Sounds like your guys have the whole people thing down anyway.
The biggest struggle we had was switching my family from buying gifts for everyone to doing the “White Elephant” swap. Now, it’s the highlight of the day for us all because we’re having fun and laughing, not stressing about getting the right gift.
Family and friends are definitely what it’s about.
I know, me too. I remember seeing holiday movies and not really understanding what the fuss was about. Why were grown people freaking out about buying a particular toy, etc. I don’t want to do Christmas. I don’t want to go shopping. I don’t want to see anybody. I just want to get Jim a haircut by a gay man. That’s my #1 holiday goal because I already got Branton a heavy bag for thai boxing. Everybody else can shove it. Who wants more useless crap, anyway?
Amen sister!! This whole present giving thing drives me crazy! This year anyone who’s getting a gift from me is getting a “gift certificate” from Kiva.org. A microfinancing organization where you donate small sums to help people over seas with a loan. I won’t get into the details here, but go check it out, it’s AMAZING!!! This year is a charity year! (Except for my “friend” that I used to live with who has to receive an expensive gift or she yells at you. Nice Christmas Spirit there.
Bah Humbug to you, too, my dear.
but what about my xbox and big screen tv.
They will look an awful lot like coal.
But you L-O-V-E stuff. I mean come on…let’s be sensible here.
Perhaps a nice balance between fa-la-la-la and stuff. Ask any 7 year
old, they will tell you.
I am with you! I made the tragic mistake of going shopping on black Friday this year ( first time) with my sister in law, who is the most self absorbed manipulative person ever. She is all about stuff! And… she got me NOTHING for my birthday, not that I wanted anything, but it bugs me that she wants this stuff and doesn’t reciprocate. Anyway, the point is that I am already humbuggy too!