Christmathanksgween

Christmathanksgween. Yup. That's my new word for the even more nebulous sense of the holiday season.

Starting in mid to late September, Halloween decorations, costumes etc. begin to creep into every retail store. These are closely followed by fall wreaths, pumpkin spice candles, and fake corn.....then slowly....and building gradually, by the third week of October, tree stands, box upon box of outdoor lights, row upon row of ornaments, and YARDS of glittering cotton batting (fake snow) ooze their way onto the shelves. All three observances are represented for the buying. Welcome folks, to Christmathanksgween.

At least you can feel better about celebrating Halloween and Thanksgiving earlier because they are at the very least, autumn activities. There is money saving potential in having the two so close together. If you do not carve all your pumpkins into Jack-o-lanterns, they can be used as centerpieces, for pies, or casseroles for Thanksgiving. But Christmas is another problem entirely.

 Even I have fallen victim to the onslaught of early advertising for Christmas. I began to hear the music. It was the music that got me. I could ignore all the rest, but once I started hearing regular strains of Silver Bells and Bing Crosby's White Christmas, I was shaky. Then I heard Andrea Bocelli's Oh Little Town of Bethlehem in the bookstore yesterday, and I was done. Sucked in. White flag waving. Christmas all the way.

That's how it works. The media and the stores play on the love of Christmas, the sentimental memories of first bicycles, candy canes, the Grinch, Ralphie and his B.B. gun, Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. Before we know it, we're ready for Christmas before it's even close, and by the time it's over, we're REALLY tired of it.

And here's a thought. I think we lose something precious by jumping so early on the Christmas bandwagon. We lose the waiting.

For us churchy types, before Christmas comes the season of Advent, from the Latin word adventus meaning coming.Advent is a time in the church of expectant waiting for the birth of the Child. And it's about a month long. The expectation of that birth builds gradually until the triumph of Christmas Eve, when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus- the reality that God became flesh and dwelt (literally "pitched his tent") and remained with us. This is what counts for me at Christmas. Not what's already here, in the stores or otherwise, but what's coming....the hearing of the old love story, and the knowing that Christ has come.

I may be listening to some Christmas tunes. I'm only human after all. And I'm kind of sucker for them. But I think that's all I'll probably do for a bit because I don't want to be sucked in to Christmasthanksgween. Don't get me wrong. I love all the schmaltz and the Christmas movies, and the decorations. I'm definitely going to get there. But I also just want Christmas to be Christmas.