We Need A Little Christmas

       

It’s time for my annual Christmas rant. For several weeks, QVC and Home Shopping Network have been doing their early Christmas thing. I am even getting emails asking me to start celebrating early. Several television networks are already advertising their “Countdown to Christmas” movie fests beginning in November. All of this started the last week of September. Give me a break.

I know times are difficult. The retail business has been, let’s say, less than stellar. But Geez Louise, the Halloween stuff has just been put on the shelves. Can’t they wait until after the candy corn pumpkins go on sale? All we need is Kraynak’s to start advertising their Christmas Tree Lane…and my October will be complete!!! And don’t forget somewhere in the mix between Halloween and the Christmas season is Thanksgiving…where we are thankful…for the Macy’s parade and football?

The fact of the matter is we continue to degrade the Christmas holiday. In A Charlie Brown Christmas, Lucy tells us it's a conspiracy run by a big eastern syndicate. I almost believe her. In our increasingly secular society where church attendance is down, illegitimate children are becoming the norm, marriage is viewed as unneeded at best and throwaway at worse, where atheism and environmentalism are the religions du jour….the reason for the season has become irrelevant. It is all smoke, and no fire. I am not quite sure what Christmas actually means today.

The metaphors are disturbing. The Christmas shopping season starts with Black Friday, which sounds perfectly awful. (It actually means the day when annual store sales move into the black). People line up outside stores, and the evening news shows the obligatory store riot where people will literally kill to get that 42” high def television for $59.99. It really doesn’t give you a warm fuzzy feeling.

And for those of us involved in lots of organizations, it downright scary! I am not singing in my community chorus this fall because I looked at the schedule for December and got the vapors. The spirit is willing, but there is in no way in hell I can do all of those things...and work...and not have my wife put divorce papers in my stocking Christmas morning. I am already planning Christmas parties and reserving venues. Even my political friends have joined the fray actually scheduling fundraisers for late November to raise sufficient funds to scare off opponents in the spring primaries. Ho Ho Ho!!!

Then there are those who travel. I am going to Pittsburgh for light up weekend in November. I have to make hotel and dinner reservations within the next week if I want something to eat and someplace to stay. Those who travel Thanksgiving weekend have already made their transportation reservations. And if you are planning on going to New York City…good luck in snagging one of those $450.00/night hotel rooms on Times Square. Many are already booked weekends through New Years.

This year we are cutting back. I have reined in some of my extra-curricular activities. We are going to do some traveling. We are cutting back on decorating. Changes in the family situation will allow us to enjoy ourselves with family members in a non-stressful environment. Andy Williams, God rest his soul, is now on my No Dead Person Christmas Music list. I am going to have to find another version of The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!!

And I will not listen to Christmas music or watch Christmas movies until AFTER Thanksgiving. Well…maybe just before Thanksgiving. Okay, not until the third week of November. November 16, that’s the ticket…no Christmas until November 16…unless I see something I want to buy my wife on Home Shopping. You know I actually ordered a tin of Harry London Christmas candy on QVC last week……

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