Loudon Wainwright III sums it up quite well in the song "Suddenly It's Christmas", in which he comments that while Christmas may only come once per year, it stays for two months. Most retailers having been pushing their Christmas wares as soon as Halloween was over, and Thanksgiving was little more than a mid-point, something to focus on so we don't burn out before December even starts. As Mr. Wainwright also puts it, Christmas is not just a day, it is an entire season, a marathon. We happily drag it out as long as we can, because failure to do so is not socially acceptable.
And for what? Yeah, it's nice to get together, exchange presents, eat a special meal, but for all the hype, there's not that much going on. We talk about it, get all excited, and when the day finally comes...it's more subdued than one might expect given all the build-up. It may be a nice day, but it is still only one day. Then it's over.
I think the biggest problem is that it simply cannot be sustained. The Frightened Rabbit song "It's Christmas So We'll Stop" sums this up; while we'd like to keep the spirit of Christmas alive in our hearts for as long as possible, it's a challenge just to keep it up for a full day. And yeah, sure, we can push the bad things out of sight and out of mind for today, but they will still be there waiting for us tomorrow.
It is a relief to have Christmas behind me. There was way too much building-up, and far too little pay-out. I only have so much holiday cheer to offer, and it feels like I have to stretch it thinner and thinner with each passing year. Admittedly, having to listen to Christmas music on the radio since mid-November did NOT help matters. Seriously, I have heard at least SEVEN artists cover "Frosty the Snowman" (I kept a list), and nearly as many covers of "Winter Wonderland" (I did not keep a list; by the time it occurred to me to do so, it was too late).
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