Christmas Begins

We put our tree up yesterday. Actually, no, that’s a lie. We put it up on Sunday and we decorated it last night. C and I both work during the day and by the time we’re done with it, night has fallen and it is too dark with which to go pick out a tree. Granted, we ended up just getting a tree at Home Depot because we were already in Middletown (it’s the biggest city we’re close to) doing a bunch of errands. Grabbing the tree at a big box hardware store was the easiest thing. We usually go to a friend’s cousin’s tree farm but they sent out postcards stating they wouldn’t be opened this year.

I’ve always loved Christmas. And having a tree up is a clear indicator that the season has arrived. C tells me I have rules about Christmas. I suppose I do. No Christmas music, no decorations, no nothing until the day after Thanksgiving. Then, everything comes down right after New Year’s. For Catholics, it is supposed to be Epiphany, January 6th; I grew up in the Catholic church and don’t remember this being a hard and fast rule. But, then again, our familial adherence to the faith wasn’t all that strict. My rules about when the season starts and ends is merely because of the constant encroachment and mixing of seasons. Do you know, here in my little area of the world, we started seeing inklings of Christmas right after Halloween. Pure commercialism and I want nothing to do with that.

As we’ve gotten older, my siblings and I have stopped exchanging gifts. We give my folks one gift. Between C and myself, we agreed to one gift each and then have experiences. Last Friday we went to the local Nutcracker show, which was cute. Tonight, we’re going to watch Violent Night, which I’m awfully excited about (the same people that made Bullet Train, which was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a while). And, we’ve got plans to go spend an evening with a herd of goats and experience their yule tide cheer at a local goat rescue.

This is the first Christmas I’ll be staying home instead of visiting family since I’ve moved back east over a decade ago. It’s a welcome respite to the usual hustle and bustle of the season. I’m excited about the semester being over and not having to travel. I’m excited about the down time. I’m excited to lay low, read a book or two, watch classic holiday movies, and snuggle with my family in front of the tree. Life doesn’t get much simpler or more joyful.