Dec. 26 is the oddest day
Imagine this: You are the younger sibling in the British royal family. That's what Dec. 26 must feel like. That oldest sibling, the one in line to become king, has been ballyhooed about since his birth. Articles have been written about him, and experts on all things royal concentrate on what 4-year-old King To Be is like, or 8-year-old King To Be, or King To Be as he enters puberty.
The younger sibling is forced to watch it all. He or she must smile and wave properly in all those family gatherings in which everyone must smile and wave properly. But that younger sibling knows that the most that will be said about his or her ranking in the pecking order is "Edward will begin school next year" or "little Beatrice acted in a kindergarten Christmas pageant yesterday."
We've heard nothing but Christmas this and Christmas that for months. We saw holiday decorations in retail stores as early as early October. People waiting for that big day stuck to budgets or flaunted budgets in order to fulfill wishes, real or imagined. Gifts were purchased and squirreled away, pushed to the back of closets or hidden in attics. All that was in anticipation of Christmas morning, when all those presents were brought out of hiding and the wrapping paper removed to reveal treasures, real or imagined.
Did anyone gear up in all those months for what Dec. 26 will bring? Well, maybe those who view the great deals to be had as retailers put inventory not purchased for Christmas delights, and Dec. 26 is a great shopping day. Many of those items purchased will be pushed to the back of closets or hidden in attics for the next Christmas Day.
That, of course, focuses a lot on the American commercial ideal of Christmas, in which people salivate to circulate through stores or shop online in a display of economic gluttony. But that commercial ideal has as much to do with the real spirit of Christmas as Amsterdam's Red Light District has to do with marvelous sexual love in marriage. It is a tawdry business designed to lure money out of our wallets.
I was taken by the simplicity of a European Christmas during the Rick Steves holiday episode on public television at this time of year. There are family gatherings and meals, and less-commercial examples of gift-giving. I was especially impressed by one town's use of St. Nicholas to go from home to home. He would then ask a child to sing a song, or recite a poem. Once that task was done, the child was given one present -- ONE PRESENT -- and St. Nicholas left to the laughter of a delighted child. The day ended with Steves sliding down a Swiss ski hill on a sled, accompanied by all family members of his hosts, who carried lighted flares that showed the serpentine progress of the revelers. The group then might gather for a drink or to sing Christmas carols.
We had a dialed-back Christmas at our home. We shared a few presents early in the morning, had a nice breakfast of egg-and-sausage casserole, then had a Christmas dinner of shepherd's pie, broccoli, seven-layer salad, and grilled asiago cheese bread. Dessert was a large cookie from Panera that was cut into small sections, and each person got one or two pieces.
See, no Red Light District holiday at our place.
How will I spend my Dec. 26? I will update mailing lists for Christmas cards, and I hope to have time to work on my novels. I will spend time with my beautiful wife and my wonderful sons. After all, this is the day of the younger sibling in the royal family, and there's no reason to go overboard for that.
The younger sibling is forced to watch it all. He or she must smile and wave properly in all those family gatherings in which everyone must smile and wave properly. But that younger sibling knows that the most that will be said about his or her ranking in the pecking order is "Edward will begin school next year" or "little Beatrice acted in a kindergarten Christmas pageant yesterday."
We've heard nothing but Christmas this and Christmas that for months. We saw holiday decorations in retail stores as early as early October. People waiting for that big day stuck to budgets or flaunted budgets in order to fulfill wishes, real or imagined. Gifts were purchased and squirreled away, pushed to the back of closets or hidden in attics. All that was in anticipation of Christmas morning, when all those presents were brought out of hiding and the wrapping paper removed to reveal treasures, real or imagined.
Did anyone gear up in all those months for what Dec. 26 will bring? Well, maybe those who view the great deals to be had as retailers put inventory not purchased for Christmas delights, and Dec. 26 is a great shopping day. Many of those items purchased will be pushed to the back of closets or hidden in attics for the next Christmas Day.
That, of course, focuses a lot on the American commercial ideal of Christmas, in which people salivate to circulate through stores or shop online in a display of economic gluttony. But that commercial ideal has as much to do with the real spirit of Christmas as Amsterdam's Red Light District has to do with marvelous sexual love in marriage. It is a tawdry business designed to lure money out of our wallets.
I was taken by the simplicity of a European Christmas during the Rick Steves holiday episode on public television at this time of year. There are family gatherings and meals, and less-commercial examples of gift-giving. I was especially impressed by one town's use of St. Nicholas to go from home to home. He would then ask a child to sing a song, or recite a poem. Once that task was done, the child was given one present -- ONE PRESENT -- and St. Nicholas left to the laughter of a delighted child. The day ended with Steves sliding down a Swiss ski hill on a sled, accompanied by all family members of his hosts, who carried lighted flares that showed the serpentine progress of the revelers. The group then might gather for a drink or to sing Christmas carols.
We had a dialed-back Christmas at our home. We shared a few presents early in the morning, had a nice breakfast of egg-and-sausage casserole, then had a Christmas dinner of shepherd's pie, broccoli, seven-layer salad, and grilled asiago cheese bread. Dessert was a large cookie from Panera that was cut into small sections, and each person got one or two pieces.
See, no Red Light District holiday at our place.
How will I spend my Dec. 26? I will update mailing lists for Christmas cards, and I hope to have time to work on my novels. I will spend time with my beautiful wife and my wonderful sons. After all, this is the day of the younger sibling in the royal family, and there's no reason to go overboard for that.
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