It seems that getting into the Christmas spirit has gotten harder and harder as I've gotten older. I still really enjoy this time of year and have fun decorating a tree and planning presents for people. But real life is still there. I still have to pay my bills, pay the rent and go to work 40 hours a week. As a kid, it seemed like the Christmas season lasted forever. You sang the songs, had Christmas shows at school, went to parties. There was so much time before the holiday actually came to enjoy the feeling and celebrate the time of year. Now it seems like as soon as it begins, it's over. No sooner is the tree up, but it's time to take it back down.
So, I've been trying to figure out a good way to prolong the Christmas feeling. I've tried getting a tree super early, thinking that maybe the physical time is the issue. After last year, I was convinced that singing the songs is really what did it. And I don't mean Jingle Bells, I mean the good ones like the Little Drummer Boy and Favorite Things. B's Christmas present last year was the first 4 seasons of South Park on DVD. A few days after Christmas we happened to watch a Christmas episode where they did all sorts of "improvements" to classic Christmas songs. After the show was over, B and I spontaneously kept singing Christmas songs. I told him that it was the most Christmas Spirit I had felt all season. This year I was determined to incorporate a little carolling action into our normal Christmas activities.
So, given my interest in the Christmas spirit and how to prolong it, I have taken particular notice of the Christmas related activities of our neighbor across the hall. He is your average 35-something male. He bought his condo earlier this year, so I think this is his first Christmas in his new place. The day after Thanksgiving, he put a wreath on the door. Then he promptly decorated his patio with colored Christmas lights. I can only assume that there is a tree inside and a plethora of other decorations. I had just made a comment to B the other day, that I thought it was cute that a single guy took the time to decorate his place for Christmas. Most of the guys I know would never bother with such things without the presence of a female or children in the household. So given this, imagine my pure delight when as I walked toward my door I heard music playing in the hall. (I always like hearing other people's music playing in the halls because it reminds me that I am surounded by people living their lives. You get so caught up in your own life, sometimes you forget about your neighbors as soon as you close your door. Hearing other's music reminds me of their humanity.) But today was a little different, today as I got closer and closer to my own door, I started to realize what I was hearing: "...bring you good tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy." Yup, he had Christmas songs playing at full volume. And it's 11 days before Christmas. Man, if only I could tap into whatever is running through that guy's veins.
2 comments:
I know what you mean. I decided against a tree this year but I'm putting up other decorations, and I just don't have the same joy about it as I used to. It's more of a chore than anything.
OK, try Christmas in Japan. It's considered a holiday for lovers and friends. An advertisement read ,"Romantic Christmas". Very strange. Some stores have decorations along with a few houses. I do get to hear Christmas carols when I shop for my groceries. That's nice. In many ways I like that it's not Christmas overload when you shop or watch TV, however it's just barely a holiday here. People still have to work and some don't even know the real date of Christmas. Very interesting to be in a foreign country during the holidays.
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