The Mood of Christmas

This year I forgot Christmas was happening. I completed my quarter. My sister visited me in California. We flew home together. I drove to Columbia for 4 days. I return to Myrtle on the 22nd. I walked into my house to see presents under the tree and this overwhelming thought came over me, "Holy Crap I have to buy stuff!!" There is no time!

I arrived home early one morning to see my mom's Christmas lights and decorations. It is important that she put them up every year. She spends hours and sometimes sacrifices health, safety and other family relationships. Growing up I hated putting them up. It didn't make sense to me to do all of this work for a month. But, like a good son, I cooperated.

This year was a little different. I feel as though I stumbled upon Christmas. Like I walked in on a movie everyone else was watching. I was playing catch up. Asking questions like;

"Who's that?"
"Why is he important?"
"Why is he wearing a red suit?"
"I have to spend how much?"

It's funny to me how people completely embrace the Christmas narrative. Adults walk around with "Santa" hats, they wear terrible sweaters with Rudolph and his blinking nose. We buy Christmas themed candies shaped as Christmas trees and we are convinced they taste better shaped that way.

Christmas time is a bizarre time.

People from all walks of life, different levels of scholarship and class systems start spouting stories about a man in a red suit coming down your chimney and leaving you presents.

Why is it the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year"?

My theory is this, people want to be apart of something that is larger than themselves. A story. Something that has fantasy and fun attached to it. What other story allows for these interactions?

There is snow.
An attractive person of the opposite sex bundled up, promising a "Christmas Cuddle".
At the end of your story everything works out.

This sounds great. This is a story I want to be apart of. Especially the cuddle.

In closing I do enjoy Christmas. Here's what I enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khSml43oKJQ

Watch this. I watched this episode from "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and that is what put me in the "mood". I hope your time with your families is blessed time and 2010 is going to be a party.