How did this happen? How did this nice jewish girl from Philly end up stuck with Christmas? OK, I admit it. Around
But the next day is hideous. I am far too co-dependent to enjoy the opening of the presents. I hate the “this one’s for you, this one’s for you.” Then, after the presents are over, there is all that dead time for the rest of the day and night.
Even if you wanted to ignore Christmas, it’s pretty hard to do since everything is CLOSED. Except for
I have been begging my non-jewish girlfriend, who just happens to be pagan, to let us go out for Chinese food for Christmas dinner instead of doing all that shopping and cooking and cleaning up. Especially since Christmas comes so close after Solstice. Every year. It’s not like Chanukah, which may come the day after thanksgiving or Christmas eve. No one ever says, “Wow, solstice is early this year.”
So here we are, six days before Christmas, planning two major parties. Solstice we stay up all night on our vigil for the returning light. Then, four days later, the house will fill up with family for Christmas. I think this year, by the time my birthday rolls around on New Years day, I will be content to sit around and watch the college football bowl games and do NOTHING!
2 comments:
I decided this year that the only possible way to deal with the holidays is to surrender. Buy the trappist jam, get busy, have two or three parties. In fact my theory is that the frenzy is historical, a fragment of behavior leftover from the time when we weren't sure the sun really would come back. So of course we gathered and made a lot of noise and light, drank and ate too much. Of course.
Giving in to the frenzy actually helps, feels right, even though it's stressful. After tomorrow, I will rest, have dinner with good friends, exchange gifts with my roommates. Why not? Christmas isn't about Christians or Jews or Pagans, it's a national holiday like the fourth of July.
Besides, I don't really even like Chinese food. What kind of Jew am I??
Happy birthday!! Watch football? WHY NOT??
I didn't know you were a new year's baby! My dad was born on new year's eve, and Jojo right between solstice and christmas, so I am sensitive to the holiday birthday phenomenon.
I hope you survived the house guests and everything.
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