Christmas

Some of you may not like what I am about to write here. But it is the truth, and as such, it needs to be told. I hate Christmas. Why? Well.. many reasons. I'm not religious, I think the whole spirit of Christmas is as fake as can be, I'm allergic to prickly trees, and I dislike dumb people in large quantities. But most of all I hate it because this is the time of the year when people gather because it's so.. cozy. What exactly is so cozy about getting together with people you avoid the rest of the year is beyond me, but still, it is what we are supposed to do. The forced happiness, the silly songs, the "awww c'mon, it's Christmas!" being used as a valid reason for anything and everything. The stores, packed to the rafters with stuff we don't need and can't really afford but buy anyhow. People groceries shopping and buying enough to feed an average family for weeks, afraid they may forget to buy that one item that makes Christmas special. And since on Christmas itself the stores will be closed for 2 whole days, one never knows what one might need. Best to be prepared.

And as a parent, you can't get away from it. We don't really celebrate Christmas around this house, but the school makes very sure our kids are brainwashed into believing they need to celebrate it. For weeks they have been learning Christmas songs at school, often to melodies that seem completely random and are impossible to sing. They have made Christmas decorations and brought them home, and I've kind of forgotten to place those in the house and luckily, so have the kids. But, there's more! This is Christmas, and so we need.. festivities! And thus I'm forced to sit in a packed school gym amidst other parents to watch the kids perform a Christmas musical. The good old bible story about Joseph and Mary. A 10 year old girl with a pillow stuffed under her dress playing the virgin Mary. It was actually quite hilarious when she told Joseph; "great news! I am going to have a baby!" and Joseph, clearly not destined to become a great actor, responding "Oh.. great". Mind you, I actually think "oh.. great" is a mild response given the fact the original Joseph had never had sex with his Mary, I bet most men would respond quite differently. But anyhow, I sat through the whole thing, praised my son for lighting his candle (the only role he had in the entire musical) exactly in time, and being glad it was over.
Tonight, we're expected to come to school once more, this time because they are having a "Christmas market". Tons of fun! Hot snacks, prepared on barbeques in the school yard. The smell alone is enough to make you lose your appetite but.. ohyes, lovely, I'll have one of.. well.. that. More Christmas decorations the kids made, only this time we can buy them. (Yeah right, like I would want to pay for.. sigh.. alright, I'll have the purple glittery star please, just what I always wanted).Great gifts like Santa hats with woolen braids attached to them, reindeer antlers with lights, candles hand decorated with.. well.. I honestly have no idea what it's supposed to be. Loud, as in LOUD! Christmas songs played on the school's ancient stereo system and speakers. Ho, ho, ho. And there is no escape, because we're packed together like sheep ready to get slaughtered, all of us parents and our children, pushing through the crowd desperately trying to keep smiling, and trying to motivate ourselves by continuously repeating the "oooh, isn't this wonderful?" mantra to ourselves and anyone we see.

We'll need to stay there for at least an hour else the kids will be very disappointed, because the school has made very sure they're looking forward to this event as if it's as good as Disneyland. (Not that i think Disneyland is that good, but that's an entirely different story). Once back home, I will most likely collapse at my desk and try to deal with the built up stress. So far, I have managed to do so without any additional therapy or professional help, but it is getting tougher each year.

Focus Kitten, focus. Think of the one word that always pulls you through. Say it, over and over again. Ohyes, yess! I take a deep breath and then I say it, out loud:

January

Almost there. All I need to do is hang in there, and January will be. Christmas and everything it stands for survived once more and banished to the dark shelves in the basement where the boxes with the decorations will be. Almost a year to go and recover until the Christmas circus starts all over again.