Michelangelo sibyl from the Sistine Chapel

 

christmas tradition

Staring out my window above the frost on the pane, I can see the colors changing in the sky. Lake Michigan lies about five or six miles to the east of where I live, but I can still see the mass of clouds that gathers above the water during the night. From behind those clouds comes a pale pink tinge with yellow above it. These few moments before everything changes are the best part of the day for me.

Putting aside any of the qualms that I might have with the religious elements of Christmas, there just isn't the same kind of energy there, as there was when I was a child. The thrill of opening presents has faded with time. Then again something about a grown man sitting in his pajamas on the livingroom floor tearing through wrapping paper seems a little silly to me. Nor is there the sense of relief that I had returning home from college after a busy semester. Without fail I always had a project or exam due at the very end of the semester and I was one of the last students to leave for home. Somehow in my mind Christmas was my reward for having been so stressed just days before. Now the holiday is just another day where I get a few hours to sit and relax with family. All of the earlier associations with the day have changed and I'm not sure what I should expect from Christmas anymore.

Christmas really is a slippery concept that everyone seems to have his or her own personal opinion on what is right or wrong, but there are certain elements that most people share such as food, family and friends.

As much as I might complain now, I can't remember ever having had a bad Christmas when I was growing up. My parents always spoiled us and made sure that Santa always brought what we wanted. They loved us then and they still love us now. If anything I am grateful for them giving me such a great childhood filled with happy memories. Oh, there were times later as I grew older that we argued, but for the most part my parents and I are on fairly good terms.

On a lighter note, there are a few Christmas traditions that I probably won't force on my children if I ever have any. Having their picture taken with Santa Claus would be the first thing to go. My parents have a series of photos of me crying next to Santa. Something about sitting in the lap of a strange man bothered me as a child and I wouldn't force that on anyone else.

There are some things that I like doing for Christmas and will probably continue to appreciate even as I grow older. The whole idea of decorating with lights and having a tree has always appealed to me and it doesn't matter where they fit into the whole Christmas tradition. Visually I find both images to be very pleasing if not slightly spiritual. Maybe this contradicts everything that I said in the beginning, but for me the religious aspects are much easier to tolerate than the commercial ones. I would rather have a subdued Christmas than an obnoxious one.

 
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