Trappings of the Season

Even as someone who doesn't subscribe to the belief systems behind the Christmas season celebrations (Christian or Pagan), I find that this time of year is my favorite. First, there's the opportunity to drag out my absurd stuffed penguin collection (which remains tucked away 11 months out of the year).


The penguins in the above picture are probably only 1/4 of my total collection. It's completely ridiculous, but I love them all.

There's also the excess of pretty colored lights (and yet more penguins).


I can't help but smile when I catch a whiff of evergreen every time I pass the wreath on our front door. And I love Christmas songs. Well... not all of them. Some are pretty obnoxious, but you can't go wrong with "White Christmas" or "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (two of my favorites). I have been known to wander about the house in December belting out tunes at the top of my lungs, being careful to do this only when I'm home alone. I was not blessed with a lovely singing voice, or even a halfway decent one. My range is incredibly limited, and even though my cello training gave me some semblance of pitch, it just serves to let me to know just how far off key I am. But that's the great thing about Christmas. Even if someone overheard me, 'tis the season to be kind, so they'd likely keep their opinion to themselves.


Anyway, for someone not celebrating the "true meaning" of Christmas in any fashion, it's hard to say what I like so much about the season. Decorations are fun of course, and the smells of evergreen trees and cookies are pleasing. Living so far away from family and friends, Christmas vacation gives me the chance to visit people I'll only see a few times a year, so there's pleasant associations there. But I think what it really comes down to is that no matter what was happening, I always remember my family being happy at Christmas. All smiles, everybody fully present in the moment. At times of high stress, this was probably a brave front on the part of some, but it always fooled me. Having an obnoxiously serious and anxious temperament that I can't seem to shake, I can only really relax when all is truly calm. I can't handle drama and stress, and although that seems to be the order of the day for many other families at Christmas, it's not for mine.

For me, Christmas is a sweet-smelling, beautifully decorated chance to take a deep calming breath. I remember many years sitting in the front room of my grandparents' house, a gigantic tree soaring toward the ceiling, covered in lights that my dad and brother strung and ornaments my mom and I placed, a fire going in the massive fireplace, traditional Spritz cookies on a plate in front of me, and feeling completely at peace... a rare thing.

I completely understand people that hate Christmas. The traffic, shopping (ick!), squabbling family members, and superficiality of the whole mess. But I never think of those things when I think of Christmas. I think of being warm, comfortable and calm.