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 |  I've maxed out. Closed this blog. |
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This is a way of making myself write something coherent and grammatically correct almost every day. I'm opinionated and need an outlet. I'm also prone to flights of fancy. Thanks for stopping by. |
| I heard a song once, that obviously didn't become a big hit, that said the meaning of Christmas was still the same through time and space even though the world has changed. And I realized, yeah, Christmas has changed. Local area parades have gone away. Santa makes many grand appearances in an area, not just one big first appearance and then stores. We use gift bags more than boxes, and gift cards instead of cash. We're not so offended by artificial trees. They're a little safer than real ones we allow to get too dry. They're easier to clean up and put away. They don't leak sap, or come with bugs. Nobody goes out to the woods to get running cedar for garlands or shoots mistletoe out of trees. Even boxwood wreaths are easier to make now with the floral supplies not even on the market to make the old style. And colored trees are more acceptable in modern dwellings. Even Christmas cards have changed. Postage forbids sending them out to everyone you know like when I was a kid. The cards are way more expensive and often have silly greetings.When I was a kid, we proudly displayed all the cards we received. It was a big part of the decorations. And everyone who sent us a card this year got one the following year. And food changes with or without holidays. If you look at every decade of the 20th century, there were major changes and innovations in packaging, cooking, preserving, and influences. So why wouldn't that affect the holiday menu? For the last three decades, we've heard a lot about fried turkey. I have yet to try any, but I hear it's excellent. Before the huge fryers, no one ever mentioned such a thing. We change, too. We don't have the same energy at 40 that we did at 21, or we develop health problems, or we work too much, and don't get enough rest, or have time for parties. Our families change. The children grow up, get married, have in-laws. We lose loved ones who were central to holiday festivities. Divorces happen and things change. My point is that we should expect every Christmas to be like the ones we remember. It's good to shake things up every couple of years and change the routine. Decorate with a different theme. Have an alternate menu with just a few favorites. Do it at someone else's house. We set our own expectations too high. And maybe the memories of the perfect Christmases are fuzzy. Maybe they weren't that perfect. We only remember the good times, or the really bad times. So, if we truly believe in peace on earth, or the advent of Christ, or good will amongst men, traditions, rituals, and customs don't matter. It's what we feel, and what we share that counts. |
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