Avoid the hype
This may be one of my shorter Hive Learner posts. A few of the recent post topics have been Christmas theme and with the time constraints in the holiday season I haven't been able to write much. However, if you listen to the radio or see ads on TV or even watch holiday movies one theme seems to stick out.
It is the time to have a big holiday dinner, get everyone together and give gifts
You hear buzz words like Peace, Joy and Love. Slogans like "be of good cheer". Or maybe "Home for the holidays". Even Christmas songs with lines like "There's no place like home for the holidays". But the subtle pressure is to buy more presents, give better gifts, make it a joyous memorable time for the children and spend time with family.
To make it all a little more important there is the underlying thought that you shouldn't be "A Grinch" at Christmas. Certainly you don't want to be seen as "A Scrooge" at Christmas. Make sure you put up your Christmas tree and decorate with Christmas lights and display "Holiday Spirit".
Dall-e image of a modern commercial mall Christmas
And that all makes me very sad.
I actually love Christmas
As a Christian I actually love Christmas time. It is a time to remember the entire reason that its a holiday at all. It is a time when Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Christ. Indeed "mass" traditionally was a church service. "Christ" and "Mass" was originally a date set aside to go to church to celebrate Christ. That part is very important to me.
The funny thing is that Christians have no idea the birthdate of Christ! It isn't recorded anywhere and the date set is arbitrary. Indeed not all Christians even celebrate on the same day! (Some celebrate in January).
Dall-e image of Christmas in the manger
Side note: Even images like this make me cringe a little. Reason? First: What kind of baby glows? (we could have a theological debate but I'll hold he didn't glow). Second: Does that woman really look like someone who just gave birth minutes to hours before? .... but I digress.
In modern day though? Around the world December 25th is well known. In the Philippines I hear songs like "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" in malls where there is zero chance of that ever happening. In Japan I've heard of "Santa Day" in a land where Christianity is not widely accepted.
Marketing seems to have taken over a Christian holy day. In that regard I love Christmas but hate the marketing. I also grin when I think what Christ himself would think if he saw the marketing around his supposed birthdate. In the Bible the only time he got visibly angry is when his fathers house (the temple) was overrun with people selling merchandise. I wouldn't be surprised if he saw modern day commercialization of his birthdate and feel upset about that.
But I digress. I love Christmas...but not what it has become.
Memories
I've had an awful lot of Christmases in my life. If you believe the marketing it is all about the magic of presents, food, and family spending joyous moments together.
Looking back at all my Christmases I can clearly remember only two. How many Christmas gifts do I remember? Only three.
So if I was to have any advice to people about their holidays it would be :
- Gifts are nice but ultimately they are rarely remembered
- Good food is nice but don't go crazy
Because if my history is any indicator its not the food, its not the presents, its not the decorations it is the people that make it special.
Do I have fond memories of Christmas?
Absolutely.
I remember time spent with my Grandparents. Time spent with my mother and sister. Time spent with my wife and children. Time spent over big Christmas meals often with many friends and others. It is time spent with those people that I remember and if you have to choose between an expensive gift of just showing up? I'll say just choose showing up...every single time.
And my mom would likely agree. Just yesterday she told me her one wish for next Christmas. Her words to me were "I'll be 80 years old next Christmas. Don't get gifts. Don't spend money. Just show up and tell me about your lives and how things are going. Please give me connection for Christmas.
I think she has a point.
Best Christmas
dall-e image: Not all Christmases are happy one
Hive Learners wanted people to share their best Christmas memories and everything leading up to this has been a preface to the fact that I really don't have a "best" Christmas memory. No one memory stands out as a Wow.
However I'll share a few memorable things.
Most memorable gifts?
#1 .. A big Google Calendar organizer. It is wall mounted and only works with internet. Expensive and something that I will never, ever, use.
#2 .. A cozy blanket. One year all the family got small cozy blankets and to this day we all wrap ourselves up in them when we are watching movies.
#3 .. A giant teddy bear when I was much younger.
Oh I'm certain there are many more expensive gifts to be sure. But as for the ones that were remembered--they were far more simple.
Most memorable Christmases
Honestly there are only two that stand out.
#1 .. In Grade 5 my sister and I woke up to see two giant stuffed bears under the Christmas trees. Time spent with grandparents and then heading to Disneyland the next day.
#2 .. When I was 29 sitting by my Grandmothers bed in the hospital and hearing the news that she had only hours left to live.
That one kind of sucked
To put in perspective though ... losing her on Christmas reminded me of all the time we did spend together and every Christmas since I've always remembered that it's not the gifts. It's not the meals. It is being there and the memories that get shared that are important....because people don't last forever.
To sum it all up.
I've had a lot of really good Christmases. None really stand out that much but all the people that have been there certainly have. I don't care about the gifts. I don't care about the food. The most important present of all was the presence of those I love and who have loved me.
What's the lesser known fact of Christmas?
Don't sweat the details. Have fun, enjoy the season, spend time with family and please don't get into debt or stress too much about a "perfect Christmas feast".
In the fullness of time the details mean nothing
.... but who showed up means everything.
Of course that is just my quick take on things and its certainly not authoritative. It may not even meet the Hive Learners post prompt of what my "best Christmas" was. But it was Grade 5 before Disneyland, and I remember little else other than the love I always felt at Grandma's house. A grandmother who had very little money and usually wrapped gifts in newspaper because there wasn't money for Christmas wrap. With meals that were never fancy and never expensive but always prepared with love.