Monday 8 December 2008

It's Christmas time again - are you ready?


Browsing an old issue of "House Beautiful" I found a paragraph that reflects my feelings about the holiday season: "Christmas is uncunningly like childbirth - a bit of slog during the run-up, quite painful on the day, and leaves you exhausted, sporting a fat, wobbly stomach that makes you look like you've swallowed a whole Figgy Pudding. Yet, just like childbirth, millions of us forget the pain, and prepare to do it all again in 12 months."

To be honest, my attitude to childbirth has been slightly different from the millions of people the writer talks about in the end (my daughter is four years old and has no siblings - so far), but when it comes to describing Christmas time trepidation, I totally agree with the author of the article.
These are the things I like of the holiday season:
The idea of birth - or rebirth, the will of change and transformation associated with it, Christmas home decorations, the crèche, Central Europe Christmas markets, lights, (outside) cold and (inside) warmth, colours (red, green, white, gold and silver), fireplaces, Christmas Carols, peace and rest.

These are the things I dislike:
"Compulsory" presents, the anxiety connected to finding and buying the above mentioned "compulsory" presents, "compulsory" cheerfulness, rush, the fact that it looks like the holiday season started in early November (if not before that time), excessive shopping, immoderate food, unwanted presents, holiday tiredness.

Cons are surpassing pros, I know, but I think Christmas time has to be preserved all the same. After all, how would our lives be without it?

3 comments:

  1. What about xmas crackers? ;)

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  2. > Nemo
    E' vero!!! Quelli sono fantastici!! Peccato che qui in Italia non si trovino!!

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  3. Per me il Natale era un momento magico quando ero bambina ed è tornato ad esserlo da quando sono mamma. Perché lo vivo ngli occhi dei miei figli.

    Per il resto, concordo con te su tutti i "contro"...

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