I realize I run the risk of being accused of Scrooge-like behavior for this post, but Christmas decorations in November is ridiculous. Americans haven't even finished their turkey feasting yet! I drove to work Monday morning and saw the town had been attacked the night before with wreaths streaming from the lampposts. Driving home Monday I noticed that some people had already put their Christmas lights on. Even the local stores have got their Christmas decorations out for sale.
Perhaps I have been scarred over the last five years of Christmas as my mom felt that decorating the fern was sufficient in lieu of a Christmas tree. She had numerous excuses for this, such as "the artificial tree doesn't fit in our new house" or "we will be having Christmas at Danielle's anyways." I was then left to feel guilty about my behaviour because I was "not acting my age." Hey, a twenty-something is allowed to act like a five year old when the so-called Christmas tree is a a wimpy fern that looks more pathetic than a Charlie Brown tree. In my mom's defense, the guilt-inducers were the always good, always sweet siblings who took it upon themselves to scold me for making my mom feel guilty about the tree. I love family dynamics!
Despite the crap-for-tree of the last few years, I am confident that even with a proper tree I'd still think Christmas decor should ONLY come out in December. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas... it's my favourite holiday. But how long can we endure "Santa's coming to town" piped in to the sound system and creepy elves staring back at us before Christmas actually hits? And let's face it, we're still yelling at the driver next to us right up to Christmas... so it's not like the early reminders are making us any more Christ-like.
22 comments:
Dude! It wasn't a fern. It was a Norfolk pine! A PINE. You are totally trying to make mom feel bad. Ha.
Also, I am all over decorating and getting ready for Christmas in November. If we weren't going out of town this weekend, the tree would be going up. I like getting ready for the holidays early. It makes for a more enjoyable and peaceful December. So there.
shall we show readers a picture of what said pine looks like dani? not much better than a friggin' fern.
see it here
and mom rarely reads this blog... besides, i've forgiven her... and i'm shaking my head in shame for your partaking of the early decorating. (see you in boise... yah!)
Well it's not a FERN.
I... live with a roomate, and this said roomate... showed up one evening with a flock of friends. They contintued to put up a fake christmas tree, decorate it with some flowers that i have neglected to find a name for. The said occasion was on november third... so we are apparently twenty days already into the celebratory season of which i have hardly stated to even think about. don't get me wrong, it looks nice... i have never had roomates that decorated before though, except for last year (the same stated roomate).
p.s. the chucky "B" fern pine made me laugh last year. i kinda dig it... in someone else's house.
Excuse me for butting in but it sure looks like a fern!
Hey, Christmas decorations are expensive. You should try to get some use out of them. I know it's expensive because I've got it in my head that I should put up a tree this year and I've been doing some shopping. I figure it is my first year in my own place, on my own, and since I don't live in a multi-male slum decorating won't be like putting perfume on a pig. I figure I'll probably put up the tree next weekend so I guess it will be December. If I could have worked things out I would have done it last weekend.
thank you happy for butting in...i agree.
graham, i'd be happy to get you your own norfolk pine. and are they poinsettas on your tree?
bryce, i'm grateful that your thinking has delayed the tree till december...
via happy feminist... Your comment re. Alberta has me chastised - could that be *my* lights you're fuming at?
In my defense, I put them up not because of xmas but because going off daylight savings time makes it very dark and depressing.
hey, canadians...
this is how we celebrate christmast ok.
DEAL WITH IT.
; )
not but seriously, can you blame a. retailers for wanting people to start thinking about shopping as possible and b. citizens not to be anxious for one of the most intoxicating parts of the year?
my father is notoriously parsimonious, and it used to depress me. now i find it hysterical. although my parents live at 9,400 ft. above sea level, surrounded by some of the most majestic trees on God's green earth, we almost always have an ugly tree. on purpose. my father cuts down a small sickly tree growing next to a large tree that would likely die anway. then, we put all the lights and ornaments on the aformentioned tree that is neither designed nor equipped to be adorned in such magnitude. we find it funny every year... and i think it's a tradition i'd like to pass down.
aislinn,
how's the office full of mopy friend picture project coming
tr1... welcome! i've been doing some lurking on your blog and was wondering where in CAN you were from.
mr. clark... it's a north american phenom (the overhype of christmas) so i'm not just a whiny canadian! and you have to understand my shock at the "fern-esque" tree as it used to be a tradition to go cut down a huge tree that my dad and brothers would drag back.
as for the office... it's stalled. you were the only one kind enough to actually send a pic (hint hint other friends).
Glad to be here! I updated my list (finally) and you're on it :-)
The day before Thanksgiving our neighbors finished putting up their Christmas display, a dizzying array of multi-colored flashing lights covering every inch of their house and property, which together give off a glow that can be seen from two blocks away. If this year is anything like last year, the lights will remain up well into March. Oh joy.
are they next door to you? i drove by a house the other day where all the lights must increase their electricty bill 100 fold. but i kept thinking "if those were my damn neighbours I'd have to get super dark shutters to hide the bright light."
i like christmas lights but not that much!
Be thankful you don't live in England. Since they don't have a holiday, like Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday season, they pick random dates. I have been there mid October and seen Christmas decorations and heard Christmas music in the shops.
I personally really like having the decorations up for a month around town. I don't like the commercialism of it all. But my friends in Pdx all pool the money would we spend on each other and we provide Christmas to families in need.
mcollie... is that you sara with no H? i love it. i do like decorations around but only in december. i'm quirky, what can i say!
(and are you dissing my british heritage... i'm a halfsy you know!)
It is I, sara with no H. I got tired of responding as an "anonymous" on blogs.
Is the fact you now live in a red state making you sensitive to any criticism of your heritage?:-P It is my love of Britain and nearly all things british (except when they start the holiday season) that had me making the comment.
Christmas after Thanksgiving. That's my mantra.
I don't know if it's the many years of working retail or just the disgust of greed & gluttony but I can only handle one holiday a month.
And as for the Norfolk Pines…yes, they are slightly fern-ish but they are soo cute and their Charlie-like needles are so soft and smell soooo good! (Did you know they have the sweetest pine needles. They are really great in salads! Crap, what a geek thing to say……backspace…backspace…)
wow, we could have had salad with our decorations... i'll pass the tip on to my dear old mom. i wonder if somewhere in the kelly archives is a picture of our lil' norfolk. good riddance i say!
Yo, I was talking to mom about this the other day and she said she started decorating the NORFOLK PINE because none of her ungrateful kids helped with the set-up or take-down of the Christmas decorations and she was tired of doing it all. So, considering I'm the eldest and have lived away from home the longest, I am disappointed with you kids. Poor mom.
yo back... shall we forget that i was living in edmonton when this tradition started? the pine was always decorated before i came home for the festivities... and i always did offer to help her with it!
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