Holiday not holiday
Ask anyone close to you and they will tell you that I am a bit of curmudgeon. I hate that Christmas music starts playing on November 1st, instead of after Thanksgiving. While it is a person’s right to put up Christmas decorations well before Christmas, it’s not for me. I have been known to put a string of lights in the bushes in front of the house in early December but that is it. I am not interested in manger scenes, inflatable anything or turning the front yard into a mini light show. It’s just not my thing.
It’s not that I am against Christmas, I love it, I really do. I just want to experience Thanksgiving in all it’s glory and appreciate New Years Eve for what it is. Then when it is over, take the tree down and put away the decorations. Everything has its time.
I also find the time of year to be hectic. It starts with Thanksgiving, lots of cooking and preparation. Then we battle the traffic to go to my mother-in-law’s. It is great to see everyone and spend time together. Then it is time to go and battle the traffic home. Then come December 1st, the parties start. Every December there are multiple Christmas parties to attend, work is good for at least four or five. Then various friends and families account for another three or four.
Then there is Christmas day itself. It is, as one might, imagine an embarrassment of riches for the boys. My Long Suffering Wife, manages to get the coffee going before things get too crazy. I managed to get the fire going in the hearth. This year, it was a little mellower because we spread the holiday out over two days. Then for those who still have the energy there is New Years Eve.
My point is that it is a hectic, crazy time.
My friends Dave and Tracey throw a Christmas party every year. The house is beautifully decorated, there’s a ton of great food, everyone brings something, and Tracey makes the worlds best eggnog. Last year, due to a variety of reasons, they couldn’t have their party before Christmas and rescheduled it for January.
Christmas in January was a hit. For the hosts it was more relaxed as it was for all of us. It was nice to be able to gather and celebrate without having the crush of the holidays and the exhaustion that comes with it weigh on us all. It was also nice to have something to celebrate in the long, dark, quiet of winter in New England.
Last Saturday we bundled up and drove to the other end of our small state to go to their party. It was dark and cold and stepping into their warm festive home was a welcome respite from both. The party was in full swing and they had managed to extend the Christmas cheer by a couple of weeks. It was a neat trick that we all agreed should be repeated next year. Sometimes you need a holiday from your holidays.