Thanksgiving vs. Christmas.

I cannot believe that my house isn’t already decorated for Christmas.

(Please, if you haven’t already, you MUST read The Christmas Tree Incident.)

This is the longest I’ve held out in years.  Except… well, I’m not really “holding out” so much as I’ve just been incredibly busy and my life has turned upside down.  What a shame that the trick-or-treaters didn’t get to see my beautifully decorated Christmas tree this year.

So many people, perhaps you’re one of them, say, “We haven’t even had Thanksgiving yet!” as they grumble over the Christmas commercials, the Christmas music and every holiday display at every retail store.  When I see this reaction, my face immediately goes blank as I purse my lips, trying to contain my rebuttal.

Well, humbug!

Listen, Scrooge, stop telling me what I can and cannot be excited about and the orderly process in which I need to feel feelings.  Because I’m excited to celebrate Jesus’ birthday AND I’m excited to give my loved ones gifts on behalf of His birth.  (Albeit, this year they’ll be rather modest gifts.)  Really I don’t see the point in containing my pleasure and anticipation for the twinkle, the sparkle and the beauty that is to come.

Haven’t you ever planned for someone’s birthday months prior to the actual date?  Or have you ever received an invitation to a party more than a month before the occasion?  It’s really not that strange.

Well, in our family, Christmas is one big birthday party.  Our sole lingering tradition is to bake a birthday cake for Jesus, sing Happy Birthday to Him and then have the youngest kids blow out the candles.  All the other Christmas traditions come and go from year to year.  (We’ve always been terrible with holiday consistency.)

And let’s discuss Christmas music for a sec here.  There are some incredible Christmas carols and traditional tunes that just take us all back to a simpler time, right?  They’re so rich and so meaningful.  And, if nothing else, the singers can actually sing.  When that music graces my ears, my heart immediately fills with awe, love and wonder as I recall each lyric as if I sang the song just yesterday.  In the same way that you might turn on a playlist and light some candles in anticipation of a romantic evening, Christmas music creates a mood and an atmosphere that gears us up for a different sort of intimacy, be it a religious remembrance or a family gathering.

Listen.  My heart NEVER fills with awe, love and wonder over ANYTHING on the contemporary radio today.  And yet that junk gets played incessantly.  Just because those artists are singing more vaguely and broadly about topics that are usually – let’s face it – less celebratory, it certainly does not mean that I need to prefer their tunes eleven months out of the year!

But all the Christmas defending aside, for those of you who generally do not enjoy the holiday as much as I do, perhaps this is my greater point: Please do not assume that because I appreciate anticipating Christmas at an early date, then I must not also be immensely looking forward to Thanksgiving.  Because that’s wrong; I am.  You’re in for one heck of a Thankful Game tomorrow!

 

11 Comments

  1. November 21, 2012
    Rach

    WalMart had Christmas carols on while we grocery shopped last night, and it made me very happy. From the bouncy to the more thoughtful songs, it is one of my favorite traditions to consistently play Christmas music from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas 🙂

  2. November 21, 2012
    Sherri

    I heart christmas. I have had clementines all this week and they have put me in the mood! Now if the weather would just start cooling… 😛

  3. November 21, 2012
    Heather F

    I am Hoping that I can get your cousin to bring up the tree and decorations tonight so I can decorate tomorrow while he is at work. I always put up Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, until I went back into retail several years ago. I am going to enjoy being able to do it again this year.

  4. November 21, 2012
    nancyjean

    welcome to parenthood! it’s been a crazy time, so of course you haven’t had the chance to pull out all of the candy striped ornaments and get to the decorating

    i’m one of the people who likes to wait until Thanksgiving, but since it’s now here (close enough), let the decorating begin! my apartment is small so i really don’t do a lot except put up a couple of handmade decorations and change all of the cds in my car for Christmas music, but i appreciate those of you who take the time and energy to create a visual feast for the rest of us.

    next year’s going to be the one you’ll really need to start planning for, though–Bennett will be of an age to want to reach for and grab all of the beautiful shiney things you’ll have on display. 🙂

  5. November 21, 2012
    Momma

    Had TSO’s “The Lost Christmas Eve” on just the other day. 🙂

  6. November 21, 2012
    Kelsey

    I hope you’re able to get your tree up soon! And I love giving gifts so much more than receiving them. Which is part of the reason why I am so heartbroken to not be able to do (as of yet, still a little hope) any Christmas shopping with this broken ankle!

  7. November 21, 2012
    melody

    Enjoy every minute anticipating Christmas and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I, too, love carols and this beautiful season. Do you know “Wind Through the Olive Trees”? When I was a kid, I sang it in choir and absolutely love it. Such a beautiful melody. Give Bennett a big hug and kiss on the head for me.

  8. November 21, 2012
    Dannielle

    I listen to Christmas carols year-round. You mean there are people who think I shouldn’t????

  9. November 21, 2012
    Chelsea Camann

    I asked Nick the day after Halloween if we could put up the Christmas decorations, he said no and is making me wait until Friday. 😛 he says he’s starting our family traditions now.

  10. November 23, 2012
    Manny

    Good points Sue! Yeah! I’m excited too. I love celebrating Jesus’ birthday. <3

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