Well, almost. The holidays are coming up quick, anyway. And suddenly, it’s time to prepare for all the decorating, gift-giving and togetherness of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
During a recent conversation with CJ Nasello on “Our Daily Show!,” I was adamant that it was way too soon to start decorating for the holidays. I’m not anti-Christmas, but I’m also not one to break out my jingle bells on Nov. 1. I argue that Thanksgiving is the perfect time to string up some lights; anytime before that is pushing it.
But then. The cold front came in. I spent the weekend hanging out in my apartment. I was free and it felt homey…So why not put up the Christmas tree?
I’m hypocritical, it turns out. Sorry, CJ. My Christmas tree is up, and I actually love it.
You might remember that I moved a few months ago. In my previous apartments, my roommates and I never bothered to put up a Christmas tree or really do much at all to decorate for the season. That means I was starting this year from scratch. I had to ask myself, how intense did I want to go, and what exactly was my Christmas style?
I started by buying a tree. It’s not a fancy tree, but it’s mine, so I love it. It’s kind of a patchy Charlie Brown tree, to be honest, but I figured I could cover the blank spots with ornaments. I got my tree put up and shoved it in a corner of the living room.
And then it was time to light ’er up. My mother is a master of Christmas lights; she taught me how to weave the lights through the branches, creating a look like the tree is glowing from the inside out. I was determined to follow in her footsteps.
But I got lazy, and just started wrapping lights around the tree in a haphazard spiral, and declared it good enough.
I did a quick run out into the world to buy some cheap ornaments and a little $2 clip-on glittery peacock Christmas decoration thing. I saw this peacock and immediately fell in love with it. So what if its gaudy silver feathers didn’t quite match the classy red-and-gold theme I was going for? I covered the tree in ornaments and then clipped on my new pet.
And suddenly, I was decorated for Christmas.
I also, believe it or not, started my holiday shopping! Applaud me. I’m usually a “panic-buying on Dec. 23” kind of gal. This year, though, I decided to start early. I’m determined to shop local and/or small as much as possible. As important as that is to me, it is, admittedly, a little pricier than mass-produced Amazon finds. And, as you’ve probably also realized, everyone’s belts are a little tighter this year. So I started budgeting and checking things off my list, slowly but surely making a dent. My family and friends might be receiving more hand-made or sentimental items rather than fancy new gadgets and jewelry, but I think that’s cooler, anyway. I’d much rather share an experience or a nostalgic gift than something big and shiny. Any store-bought items, meanwhile, will come from local and small businesses as much as I can manage. I’m still not quite in the Christmas spirit. After all, decorations and gifts can only take you so far. The real holiday joy is in giving, helping others, and spending time with your loved ones. Of course, people need help now more than ever. Everyone I talk to is struggling at least a little bit. With so much up in the air, it’s hard to get in the holiday spirit as people worry instead about food, gas, utilities. Christmas just feels like another burden, in some ways. Luckily, there are also a lot of helpers out there. Our community has come together to assist those dealing with food insecurity; almost every business I walk into has a box out for pantry donations. The Riverbend is constantly donating to GoFundMes. We shine during the holidays, when people come out of the woodwork to donate toys and items to families in need. (Keep an eye on RiverBender.com for a list of different ways to help in the coming weeks.) I’m lucky to live in a community where so many folks are willing to help, and I’m extremely lucky to be in a place where I can help. As much fun as Christmas decorations and gift-giving can be, I vote that we take this year’s holiday season back to its roots and focus on helping and loving on one another. I think we could all use it.
