I dread the holiday season.
I really do. I hate the fact that businesses start their push for Christmas buying in August. August! I hate the constant ads for 'the perfect gift.' I hate the scenes of perfect families gathered around the dining table or the Christmas tree, knowing that such scenes rarely exist in real life. I hate the commercials suggesting that a husband should buy his wife (or vice versa) a new $60,000 Lexus. I hate the fact that far too many people fall for the hype, spend money they can't afford to spend, and then freak out when the bills come due in January or February. I hate the fact that holiday-themed movies, and all-Christmas music radio stations, start flooding the airwaves earlier each year, starting in October. I have been seeing commercials for Hallmark Channel's 30 days of Christmas movies for several weeks.
I really do. I hate the fact that businesses start their push for Christmas buying in August. August! I hate the constant ads for 'the perfect gift.' I hate the scenes of perfect families gathered around the dining table or the Christmas tree, knowing that such scenes rarely exist in real life. I hate the commercials suggesting that a husband should buy his wife (or vice versa) a new $60,000 Lexus. I hate the fact that far too many people fall for the hype, spend money they can't afford to spend, and then freak out when the bills come due in January or February. I hate the fact that holiday-themed movies, and all-Christmas music radio stations, start flooding the airwaves earlier each year, starting in October. I have been seeing commercials for Hallmark Channel's 30 days of Christmas movies for several weeks.
I suspect this year will be worse than ever, given the increased struggles to survive brought on by the pandemic. Businesses and non-profits both are struggling to stay afloat in the face of declining sales and donations.
I guess I'm lucky. I have no one with whom to share the holidays. So there is no pressure to buy 'the perfect gift.' I stopped sending Christmas cards several years ago. The past couple of years, I didn't even decorate the inside of my house for Christmas. I donated my large artificial tree, along with boxes of lights and ornaments, to the local domestic violence shelter. I didn't bother to set up a few Christmas items in the living room, and the few strands of lights I still have remain in a box in the garage. There is absolutely no point in decorating the house.
I will do what I often due at Christmas -- donate substantial amounts of money to a half dozen or so of my favorite charities. I usually donate to the Illinois hospice that took care of my dad at the end of his life. I donate to a dog rescue group in South Carolina that provides medical care and rehabilitation to horribly abused and neglected dogs until they are well enough to be adopted. I donate to an organization in Kenya that fights against the poaching of elephants. I donate to another group in Nairobi, providing boots and supplies for the men who care for orphaned elephants. I donate to a golden retriever rescue group from which I adopted a dog a few years ago. I donate to the biggest food bank in the state. And I donate to an all-female anti-poaching team in South Africa working to protect the nation's endangered rhinoceros population.
After I retired, I cut way back on my holiday baking, as I used to take much of it to work to share with coworkers. I don't need to eat a 3-pound batch of fudge by myself. I usually make one or two batches of shortbread, and maybe some Russian teacakes, but that's about it for holiday baking. I don't cook a special meal, either. Since I lost most of my ability to taste food a few years ago, food holds little interest for me.
I enjoy listening to my 45 to 50 CDs of Christmas music (after Thanksgiving). Otherwise, Christmas will be just another day. And that's OK. I prefer to celebrate the season of giving by doing just that -- donating money and goods to organizations I know will make good use of my donations.
And I won't miss the mall with its hordes of crazed shoppers. I won't miss the search for 'the perfect gift.' I will enjoy another quiet day at home with my dogs. We will go for our usual morning walk, and I will take another walk by myself later in the day.
I guess I'm lucky. I have no one with whom to share the holidays. So there is no pressure to buy 'the perfect gift.' I stopped sending Christmas cards several years ago. The past couple of years, I didn't even decorate the inside of my house for Christmas. I donated my large artificial tree, along with boxes of lights and ornaments, to the local domestic violence shelter. I didn't bother to set up a few Christmas items in the living room, and the few strands of lights I still have remain in a box in the garage. There is absolutely no point in decorating the house.
I will do what I often due at Christmas -- donate substantial amounts of money to a half dozen or so of my favorite charities. I usually donate to the Illinois hospice that took care of my dad at the end of his life. I donate to a dog rescue group in South Carolina that provides medical care and rehabilitation to horribly abused and neglected dogs until they are well enough to be adopted. I donate to an organization in Kenya that fights against the poaching of elephants. I donate to another group in Nairobi, providing boots and supplies for the men who care for orphaned elephants. I donate to a golden retriever rescue group from which I adopted a dog a few years ago. I donate to the biggest food bank in the state. And I donate to an all-female anti-poaching team in South Africa working to protect the nation's endangered rhinoceros population.
After I retired, I cut way back on my holiday baking, as I used to take much of it to work to share with coworkers. I don't need to eat a 3-pound batch of fudge by myself. I usually make one or two batches of shortbread, and maybe some Russian teacakes, but that's about it for holiday baking. I don't cook a special meal, either. Since I lost most of my ability to taste food a few years ago, food holds little interest for me.
I enjoy listening to my 45 to 50 CDs of Christmas music (after Thanksgiving). Otherwise, Christmas will be just another day. And that's OK. I prefer to celebrate the season of giving by doing just that -- donating money and goods to organizations I know will make good use of my donations.
And I won't miss the mall with its hordes of crazed shoppers. I won't miss the search for 'the perfect gift.' I will enjoy another quiet day at home with my dogs. We will go for our usual morning walk, and I will take another walk by myself later in the day.
Christmas 2020 is so far removed from the true intent of the holiday, as has been the norm for the past several years. And the need for food and other necessities is so great this year. I think the best way to honor the spirit of the season is to help those less fortunate.
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