The Scene staff
Well, it’s Christmastime again.
Jolly jingles are permeating the airwaves, lights and trees have gone up in and on houses, and stores have been cramming the season down our throats for months now.
And every year, it gets a little harder for me to stomach.
It’s not that I don’t have a lot to be thankful for, because I do. It’s not that I have a history of bad Christmases, either. With only a few exceptions, they’ve been great.
I’m not the religious type, but I recognize that Christmas, if nothing else, is a time to be caring and kind to others and to enjoy the many blessings we’re afforded, especially those of family and friends.
My Christmas negativity comes from annoyance. It just seems Christmas is being forced on me a little earlier and a little harder every year.
I have no problem celebrating the holiday on Dec. 25. I love getting together with my family. I like giving and receiving gifts, enjoying delicious food, slurping down eggnog like it’s my job and then taking power naps on the nearest couch.
What I don’t like is being inundated with Christmas 2½ months before it actually happens.
Seriously, it starts in October now.
By November, Christmas displays have swallowed entire stores. Every other house on the block is decked out in lights and tacky, blow-up Santas. Turn the radio dial, and Christmas tunes are playing on every other active frequency.
Not only are there Christmas reminders everywhere we turn in December, it’s building momentum 10 weeks in advance.
Christmas creep waters down the significance of the season. Instead of a week or so of cheer and merriment, it starts so early that by the time the holiday actually arrives, many of us are so tired of it that we just want it to end.
This is unfortunate because it gets harder to muster up a celebratory attitude on Christmas when the rest of the country has been celebrating for months already.
Perhaps most annoying is when people start asking, “Got your Christmas shopping done yet?” Then they’re appalled when I say, “It’s November. I haven’t bought one damn thing.”
Just as maddening is the perception by some people that I’m just being a Scrooge. They’ll say, “‘Bah humbug,’ right, Scott?” like I’m going around knocking over Christmas trees and punching green-and-red clad toddlers in the face.
I don’t dislike Christmas; far from it. On Dec. 25, I’ll be happy and smiling, and I’ll truly enjoy the time with my family.
But I hate Christmas creep. I’ll take my holiday cheer on the holiday itself, thank you, and let’s leave the rest of the year alone.