Merry Christmas
People are sick of saying Happy Holidays, renaming their decorations as Holiday Trees or Holiday Garland. I think it is pretty stupid to call your tree a Holiday tree... I mean how many Buddhists put up a tree??
I mean, I guess if you really get into it, unless you're a Wicaan you really don't need a tree. Celtic druids used to worship the Evergreen because it didn't die in the winter. It wasn't until the later 1600's that they made their way to England. Later still, around 1840 a tree was erected in Windsor Castle at Christmas time. Approximately 10 years later a church in Pennsylvania used one as a fund raiser and the trend took off from there. So, there's a disturbingly concise, impersonal history of the Christmas Tree.
I rather my personal history of it. You know, the one that includes my mother's manger and putting the baby Jesus on the TV until midnight Christmas Eve because he hadn't been born yet. Or how every year we would gently unwrap the glass ornaments from wadded up paper towels and old newspaper, rediscovering a history that started long before I was born. My mom had ornaments that were hand blown glass from the 50's and 60's... meaning "YOU BREAK THIS AND YOU HAVE RUINED CHRISTMAS".
I particularly love to recall the requisite Fitting of the Tree Trunk Into The God Damned Tree Stand. Or the A Little To The Left saga as presented by my mom directing and my father the lowly stage hand from under the tree, covered in needles and sap. Ah yes.... real trees. I remember how looooong it took for the branches to fall so we could get to the good stuff. Our tree was always huge (or so it seemed to a short kid like me). It was always beautiful.
It was Christmas to us. It wasn't Holiday.
It meant Santa was coming and look out world... cause I been goooooood this year!!! It meant wiggling in my bed with anticipation until well past midnight. It meant an all out, get down and have a good time Christmas Eve was coming. It meant that nearly 100 of our nearest and dearest would be over between the hours of 8PM and ????. The keg on the counter, the laughing, the singing, the food.... good times they were. Great.
You see... we celebrated Christmas. We were Catholics. We went to Mass on Christmas Eve and then we partied like a bunch of frat boys. We got up early and waited patiently while my father doled out the gifts, one at a time and in procession. My mother's code of knowing who's gift was who's without nary a name or bow on any of them. Dad would hold one up, we would stare at it trying to see some sort of pattern as to who it could possible belong too, and Mom would declare, "Jimmy", "Michael", "Lisa", "Kathy", or "Jennifer". She has told us her secret since, but I have blocked it out totally. I prefer to think that she just knew by some sort of secret pact she had with Santa. We would watch as our brothers and sisters opened thier gifts... usually 2 or 3 each. And no... we didn't get $500 toys or even $100 toys. We got that one special toy (Molly Moppet's Secret Dollhouse!) or game and maybe a sweater. And then we had a HUGE breakfast together. Played. Visited family. Played. You know, around the Christmas Tree.
So, maybe Christmas isn't politically correct. Maybe Hanukkah isn't. I might say Holiday work party, but I'm thinking Christmas Party. And some of them are thinking Hanukkah Party. And others are thinking, Christmas and Kwanzaa. I don't care. And you know what... I don't really care that I have to say Holiday whatever. My heart says Christmas. In all of its ridiculousness and fun and trees and presents and food.... I think Christmas. And you might think otherwise.
So, can we just call a truce here? Can we call the trees Christmas trees and the Holiday candelabras Menorahs? Can we agree that we are different, that we are celebrating a few different things at the same time and that each are as special to us as they are to everyone else? We light a tree, you light a candle or eight. We can say Holiday Party, we can say Season's Greetings... but keep the Christmas lights and Hanukkah latkes? I'm not offended if you aren't.
One question.... why did we get stuck with the red and green and Jewish people got the pretty blue and silver? Did anyone at the time realize we were totally getting the shaft with that color combination? Where were the gay Christians on that one? A little help here guys!!
Enough. Peace to all. Jews and Gentiles alike. Peace. Oh... and Season's Greetings. hahaha.
I mean, I guess if you really get into it, unless you're a Wicaan you really don't need a tree. Celtic druids used to worship the Evergreen because it didn't die in the winter. It wasn't until the later 1600's that they made their way to England. Later still, around 1840 a tree was erected in Windsor Castle at Christmas time. Approximately 10 years later a church in Pennsylvania used one as a fund raiser and the trend took off from there. So, there's a disturbingly concise, impersonal history of the Christmas Tree.
I rather my personal history of it. You know, the one that includes my mother's manger and putting the baby Jesus on the TV until midnight Christmas Eve because he hadn't been born yet. Or how every year we would gently unwrap the glass ornaments from wadded up paper towels and old newspaper, rediscovering a history that started long before I was born. My mom had ornaments that were hand blown glass from the 50's and 60's... meaning "YOU BREAK THIS AND YOU HAVE RUINED CHRISTMAS".
I particularly love to recall the requisite Fitting of the Tree Trunk Into The God Damned Tree Stand. Or the A Little To The Left saga as presented by my mom directing and my father the lowly stage hand from under the tree, covered in needles and sap. Ah yes.... real trees. I remember how looooong it took for the branches to fall so we could get to the good stuff. Our tree was always huge (or so it seemed to a short kid like me). It was always beautiful.
It was Christmas to us. It wasn't Holiday.
It meant Santa was coming and look out world... cause I been goooooood this year!!! It meant wiggling in my bed with anticipation until well past midnight. It meant an all out, get down and have a good time Christmas Eve was coming. It meant that nearly 100 of our nearest and dearest would be over between the hours of 8PM and ????. The keg on the counter, the laughing, the singing, the food.... good times they were. Great.
You see... we celebrated Christmas. We were Catholics. We went to Mass on Christmas Eve and then we partied like a bunch of frat boys. We got up early and waited patiently while my father doled out the gifts, one at a time and in procession. My mother's code of knowing who's gift was who's without nary a name or bow on any of them. Dad would hold one up, we would stare at it trying to see some sort of pattern as to who it could possible belong too, and Mom would declare, "Jimmy", "Michael", "Lisa", "Kathy", or "Jennifer". She has told us her secret since, but I have blocked it out totally. I prefer to think that she just knew by some sort of secret pact she had with Santa. We would watch as our brothers and sisters opened thier gifts... usually 2 or 3 each. And no... we didn't get $500 toys or even $100 toys. We got that one special toy (Molly Moppet's Secret Dollhouse!) or game and maybe a sweater. And then we had a HUGE breakfast together. Played. Visited family. Played. You know, around the Christmas Tree.
So, maybe Christmas isn't politically correct. Maybe Hanukkah isn't. I might say Holiday work party, but I'm thinking Christmas Party. And some of them are thinking Hanukkah Party. And others are thinking, Christmas and Kwanzaa. I don't care. And you know what... I don't really care that I have to say Holiday whatever. My heart says Christmas. In all of its ridiculousness and fun and trees and presents and food.... I think Christmas. And you might think otherwise.
So, can we just call a truce here? Can we call the trees Christmas trees and the Holiday candelabras Menorahs? Can we agree that we are different, that we are celebrating a few different things at the same time and that each are as special to us as they are to everyone else? We light a tree, you light a candle or eight. We can say Holiday Party, we can say Season's Greetings... but keep the Christmas lights and Hanukkah latkes? I'm not offended if you aren't.
One question.... why did we get stuck with the red and green and Jewish people got the pretty blue and silver? Did anyone at the time realize we were totally getting the shaft with that color combination? Where were the gay Christians on that one? A little help here guys!!
Enough. Peace to all. Jews and Gentiles alike. Peace. Oh... and Season's Greetings. hahaha.
great blog jennifer...it's crazy this year about the word "CHRISTMAS"..just enjoy the day the way you want and peace,love to all
ReplyDeleteMERRY CHRISTMAS Thanks for the memories of our christmas's and let them all want to be a part of it,i guess not everyone has great christmas's like us to bad !!
ReplyDelete