What I’m about to say will probably mark me as a female Scrooge out of Dickens. I’m not talking about holiday blues and depression –that’s another issue altogether. But what if you don’t like the holidays?
What’s not to like? First , it’s become a worn out season that goes on way too long. They start putting out Christmas decorations the day after Halloween. By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, I’m sick of looking at plastic poinsettias and blow up Santas. How many other national holidays are celebrated for two months?
Ditto for Christmas music. A little bit goes a long way. I love some of the religious songs , but if I hear Silent Night one more time while I’m driving, I’m going to fall asleep at the wheel. And how many times can you hear jingle bells before the very sound of them grates on your nerves.? Again, what if they started broadcasting America the Beautiful and other summer holiday songs in April?
I don’t like giving and receiving expensive presents. My very best memories of Christmas gifting was in the era when they still had dime stores. The four kids in our family were each given fifty cents to spend at the dime store for mom, dad, and the other 3 siblings. There were some amazing gifts, there. Perfume and hankies for the parents. A little doll or truck for a sister or brother. And then, the fun of wrapping each gift in pretty paper, carefully tying it with a name tag,, and putting it under the tree on Christmas eve.. Just enough time for us to hold “our” presents up to the ear, and shake and rattle them. What were they? Perfume? Bath powder? A doll? A set of jacks? (that’s a game kids played if they didn’t have much money ).
I don’t like holiday parties when people drink too much and say things they later regret. It’s even happened to me a few times in my younger days. Nothing like New Year’s day remorse.
But most importantly, I don’t like the way the entire holiday hoopla depends on women. It wasn’t too bad when the dad worked and the moms stayed at home. But most women work nowadays, and yet they are the ones who are responsible for everyone’s holiday happiness. Or sure, the guys may decorate the house and put up a tree, but that’s a one day deal. They don’t have to cook and bake, clean up the house and produce memorable, extraordinary holiday meals. They don’t plan the parties and fix the snacks.. They aren’t the ones making gift lists and frantically shopping for everyone’s heart desire. They don’t have to worry about teacher’s presents and school gift exchanges. The list of what women are expected to do at Christmas is endless.