I’m not a fan of Christmas. That sounds awful. Let me clarify. I love the Christ story; the Son of God being born to a virgin in a stable with all of the animals surrounding him is beautiful. Tears well up every time I read Luke 2. It’s all the other stuff that I don’t care for.
The tree. The bows. The garland. The glitter, ohhh the glitter! They really are the herpes of crafting supplies. The red and green everything. Why are there monogrammed socks on my mantle? Santa, reindeers, the Elf on the Shelf. The general disruption to my regular household decorations/furniture arrangement really grinds my gears.
The relentless perfume commercials. The relentless everything commercials. Who gives a Lexus with a big red bow on it as a Christmas gift?! The traffic. We have the Internet! Amazon will bring your stuff in two days! And you don’t have to even leave the house! I thought this was common knowledge.
4 months of activity packed into 25 days. Don’t ask me to do anything. My calendar’s full. All of this forced merriment is exhausting!
These really are princess problems. I’m rereading this thinking, “People in other parts of the world would think I’m utterly spoiled to be complaining about this.” They’re right. I truly can’t see the forest for the [Christmas] trees.
However, I’ve had an epiphany, of sorts. Colored lights. I really like colored lights. I know, some people think they’re tacky. But I really love them. My neighborhood is awash in classy white lights and tasteful decorations. But I’ve chosen colored lights.
I stopped sending Christmas cards years ago. Too much work. I order all my gifts online. I put up fewer decorations this year than I have ever before. And what I do have up has colored lights on it. And I’m happy. I think I have found the sweet spot in a holiday that normally puts me in a stressed-out funk.
Simplicity. And colored lights.
Positively Effervescent 
I found Hallmark Channel this year, so I have been overdosing on a cheesefest of once-relevant actors in movies that I want to dis but can’t because I’m getting older and am beginning to like old people things, like Christmas vests and brooches. I fear I may soon start wearing Coldwater Creek fashions. Who couldn’t like colored lights?They’re magic.
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I think so too! I’m going to be a really good old person, with my Buick and 4 p.m. supper time. It sounds fun!
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“Glitter is the herpes of crafting supplies.” That is flipping brilliant! LOL! I feel your pain. While I love Christmas decorations, I hate all the obligatory shopping. I despise this idea that because the calendar says you have to give someone a gift, we do. I am all for the celebrating and being merry thing, but the frenzied sales and commercialization of the holiday makes me want to throw shit.
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And really, the wise men didn’t technically bring gifts until Epiphany…12 days after Christmas Day. But that’s after the new year…not so good for the year-end bottom line. Because that’s what Christmas is really about, right?
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