Falling For Christmas Carols Again

December 1^st

It’s December first, and that means it’s getting close to Christmas. I am in the camp that firmly believes no Christmas music, or thoughts, or even preferably plans should be made until black Friday. The day after thanksgiving all Christmas tidal waves may be unleashed. Unfortunately, society does not agree with me. When my boyfriend and I went to get Halloween decorations at the dollar store the day before Halloween, they already had their Christmas decoration wares up and nearly all of their Halloween decorations gone. My main reason for this is I don’t like cheating the other holidays. Some people think Christmas is the best holiday in the world. While I don’t think I ever thought that, when I was younger, Christmas was full of wonder and surprises.

Christmases Past

I can still remember one of the first Christmases* at my parents’ current house. After waiting, what seemed like forever, for Christmas to arrive, it was finally here. However, my parents wouldn’t let me and my, at the time only, two younger siblings run down the stairs. We waited perched at the top of the stairs not unlocking the wooden safety gate, because my brother was still too little to be trusted at the top of the stairs without it.

Downstairs, my mom was putting the last touches on the coffee cake we eat every Christmas morning for breakfast. Having turned on the Christmas music, my dad had the big video camera in his hands and was videoing us impatiently leaning on the gate. As the smell of the cake wafted up to us, my mom finally came to the stairs and climbing up grabbed my little brother and let my sister and I rush down. The presents obscured the bottom half of the tree, blocked the front of the sofa to its left, and stretched to far window on its right. One of the most prominent presents was a brown rocking horse, that later, after a lot of deliberation, we finally decided on Coco Clide for its name.It looked like this, but was stuffed and cloth. Christmas was magical.

Christmases Present-ish

While I still appreciate Christmas now, it isn’t the same. Although many people would be sad to grow up with Christmas, I’m not really sad about it. Except, I wish I still liked Christmas music a lot, because if I did, it wouldn’t be annoying, like it is now.  Until I got my first job, Christmas music was still enjoyable. Then, not allowed to change the radio station that was mandatorily on at all times, I quickly tired of the Christmas music that started mid-October or early-November till like January 15^th.  On top of working a good number of hours, I couldn’t even escape the music at home. My mom soon started playing Christmas music in the house and my dad started playing it anytime we were in the car. So I was pretty much listening to Christmas music everywhere I went. However, it still wouldn’t have ruined it. Here’s the problem: there are essentially the same 20, if there are even that many, Christmas songs played over…and over…again. First couple years of your life those 20 songs are awesome, because each time you hear them it’s like the first time, because your memory isn’t so great. Then each year you remember them progressively more and more and as such they become more and more predictable and less and less exciting and glittering in your mind’s eye. This is why children are great. My youngest sister Jianna loves Christmas and then each sibling up from her likes Christmas but each of us is progressively less excited. So the fun switches from consuming Christmas joy to experiencing it second hand through young children like Jianna. A youtuber, that I’ve mentioned before Jordan Peterson, argues that this is why adults need children. Through being around children, people can experience everything for the first time and re-see the wonder in everything. I never thought basketball was that interesting growing up, but watching Jianna get really excited about basketball it’s like I’m experiencing it for the first time. It’s been seven years since I stopped doing Karate, but since my brother has started, it’s like I’m 8 again and a newbie white belt all over again. So when my mom digs out the same old Christmas CDs and my dad starts singing Jingle Bells every time we get in the car, I’ll shake my head and watch my youngest sister Jianna still enjoying these Christmas Carols.

*That word just looks like it’s spelled wrong no matter what I do.

Sources: 

Image Credit: "christmas music" by Dwayne 

Rocking Horse: Handcrafted Wooden Rocking Horse Norton The High Street Enterprises Ltd.