Happy December 25th, if you attach particular meaning to the date. I woke up to my sister making crepes, and that's about it. We're having a potluck at our house for dinner, for all of the people who don't have anything better to be doing tonight. And that's about the sum of the specialness for today. I don't have any warm fuzzy Christmas memories. I think the last time I celebrated it was at five. No, I wasn't deprived. Well, not because of that.
I just don't get Christmas. It's so stressful, and generic. Not to mention seeped in misconceptions and religiosity. I might not dislike it quite so much if it wasn't assumed that I celebrated, or that deep down in my cold and unfeeling heart I secretly want to, or that I'm a bad American (!) for not, or that it's not religious, or that I should celebrate Christmas to make other people feel good about their beliefs.
So I'm going to go back to contemplating Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, and try to ignore the fact that everyone else is pretending to be full of good cheer. I might even clean my room. And if you do observe, please try and have a good Christmas. Try to stay sane in the light of family invasions, and try not to feel pressured by them to conform to their beliefs, or clean the house, or make the pie exactly the way your great-grandmother did. Try not to stress out too much, or take things too seriously. It's just a day, in a long chain of days that make up your life. It doesn't have to be über memorable, or perfect. Sometimes, just making it to the end is fine. But if you have a moment of peace, try to think about what you're celebrating. The meshing of and inclusion of traditions and myths from a variety of cultures? Awesome. The misdirection and blatant lies that lead many Christians to declare this day holy? Not so much.
You know, most Christians at all cognizant of history and their own religion, are quite aware of Christmas' origin as a pagan holy day. Proclaiming their use of a convenient date as "misdirection and blatant lies" seems a bit disingenuous. Indeed, it appears you're angry with stupid people saying stupid things (something I can fully agree with, by the by). Don't let that anger flow over into a generalized hatred of a group, since by so doing, you become as bad as they.
ReplyDeleteAlso, personally, I use Christmas as three things.
1. A day that's great for eating.
2. A celebration of togetherness and friendship amongst family and friends.
3. A day where I get given free stuff. :P
Can't complain, gotta be honest. You should try it. ;)