Christmas

I don't think I've actually mentioned christmas yet this year on the blog and thats not by accident. I may be a fairly outspoken atheist but I love christmas. The reason is quite simply, I love my family and this holiday is the excuse we use to get everyone together. Christmas Eve the immediate family sits around and talks, we eat steak, talk some more then we decide if were actually going to bother going to church this year, last year we came really close to saying screw it but at the last moment my mom decided she wanted to so grudgingly we got ready. Honestly I even like my church, ok so other than christmas I haven't been there since high school but I did meet some great people there, and got to do some amazing things the mission trips to Guatemala obviously being the high point. The actual sermons are pretty freaking dull and my mom has to elbow everyone else in the family in order to keep us from screwing around but on christmas even that stuff isn't so bad. If nothing else I used to like it because they would give us a candle and turn down the lights for a few songs, and being a minor pyro as a child I did enjoy that. Christmas day I still wake up early, although these days it has less to do with childish excitement and more to do with the fact that I'll have slept on my parents couch right in front of the window so we can enjoy christmas morning together. We do the present thing then make breakfast. Eventually we get around and go see other parts of the tribe, making sure to hit the homes of those with little ones because thats the best part of christmas, although I still think everything about santa is creepy. Then we eventually end up back at the parents place and a few aunts and uncles stop by for a drink. The next day is my moms side of the family, my dads sides party having been the weekend before. Now my dads family is fun because there's every age covered right down to toddlers. My moms side is also fun for the exact opposite reason. On that side I'm the youngest. It's a very different sort of party but its great and I don't get to see those cousins as often. So thats how my christmas goes down and I love it.

But I fucking hate the christmas season. Shitty fucking songs done over and over by every hack played constantly on the already shitty radio stations. Bull-shit being taught to children about some creepy old man who's constantly watching them, even as they sleep, then taking the kids to the mall to go sit on some fat guys lap while the kid cries and the parents snap a photo. In this over protective age when kids are taught to be wary of strangers, especially strange men, this seems like a really odd lie to tell children. I hate the material greed associated with this holiday. It seems really strange to me that religious folks remember the birth of a man who said to sell all your possessions, by going out a buying a bunch of crap. Admittedly the crap thats bought is as presents but there is a huge amount of desire to receive said presents too. I hate that we shove this holiday crap down everyones throats so hard that those who aren't feeling so jolly are made to feel even worse and suicides reach there highest levels of the year. I hate how every year the conservatives talk about the war on christmas, oh no other people was equality too, if they are equal with us then we're not superior and thats an attack on everything that makes this country great. I don't know their argument is something like that. I hate the fact that the fucking christmas season has slowly devoured every holiday in its path. I thought it was bad enough when it started right after Thanksgiving. Now I see shit out in stores by Halloween. Remember that annoying song the twelve days of christmas, seems excessive right? Half way through that shit you just want them to shut the fuck up about the pear tree we get the point, and thats just twelve days, I would love it if this unholy disaster only lasted two weeks. But no, if you can stay away until the last six weeks your ahead of the curve these days.

This is what happens when religion mixes with capitalism, and honestly I don't think its religions fault this time. I would think that religious people would be the most appalled at the mockery this holiday has become. It wasn't that long ago that many christian denominations were against the celebration of christmas. So now that this has become a full grown rant I'll sum it up real quick. I love the private celebration of christmas in spite of its supposed religious origins, it's the public christmas season that I can't stand. and I probably wouldn't care so much, I'd just be a grinch, except I really do like the private side.

Anyway enjoy the holiday.