Merry That is a phrase my friends and I came up with last year.
I take no offense at either the greeting "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" but they are both a very one-size-fits-all sort of greeting. It's something you often toss out without any knowledge of the other person or what this time of year means to them.
I take them in the spirit they are intended.
I just wanted something a bit more personal.
And I think it would spread more holiday cheer.
I actually cried the first time someone sent me a Hanukkah card, that someone thought to acknowledge it's significance to me.
Merry That is what you wish someone once they've told you a little about their own celebrations.
Merry That is about learning, not assuming.
Merry That is about celebrating each and every one of us and what we bring to the worldwide party that is this time of year.
I like lighting the Hanukkah candles. I like sniffing the Christmas trees in the lot outside the grocery store. I like turning off all the lights except the ones on the tree and laying on the floor and seeing the shadows they cast on the ceiling. I like the first time I hear "Last Christmas" while I'm grocery shopping, the true kick-off to the season. I like giving in and opening all the presents on Christmas Eve. I like getting 28 e-cards from Colsy. I like watching the sunset on the Solstice and thinking about the light slowly winning out over the darkness. I like turning up "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion" from Handel's Messiah and closing my eyes. I like gloating over the piles of gifts I've wrapped. I like unwrapping each tree ornament and seeing it's familiar shape. I like putting bows on Mau's head.
So please tell me. I want to hear from all of you. How do you celebrate? What are your family rituals? What little moments mean the most to you? What do you decorate with, eat, dance to? Is this a religious holiday for you, or simply celebrating the best in the human spirit?
Tell, tell.
I take no offense at either the greeting "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" but they are both a very one-size-fits-all sort of greeting. It's something you often toss out without any knowledge of the other person or what this time of year means to them.
I take them in the spirit they are intended.
I just wanted something a bit more personal.
And I think it would spread more holiday cheer.
I actually cried the first time someone sent me a Hanukkah card, that someone thought to acknowledge it's significance to me.
Merry That is what you wish someone once they've told you a little about their own celebrations.
Merry That is about learning, not assuming.
Merry That is about celebrating each and every one of us and what we bring to the worldwide party that is this time of year.
I like lighting the Hanukkah candles. I like sniffing the Christmas trees in the lot outside the grocery store. I like turning off all the lights except the ones on the tree and laying on the floor and seeing the shadows they cast on the ceiling. I like the first time I hear "Last Christmas" while I'm grocery shopping, the true kick-off to the season. I like giving in and opening all the presents on Christmas Eve. I like getting 28 e-cards from Colsy. I like watching the sunset on the Solstice and thinking about the light slowly winning out over the darkness. I like turning up "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion" from Handel's Messiah and closing my eyes. I like gloating over the piles of gifts I've wrapped. I like unwrapping each tree ornament and seeing it's familiar shape. I like putting bows on Mau's head.
So please tell me. I want to hear from all of you. How do you celebrate? What are your family rituals? What little moments mean the most to you? What do you decorate with, eat, dance to? Is this a religious holiday for you, or simply celebrating the best in the human spirit?
Tell, tell.
3 Comments:
i watch A Christmas Story every year. i try to make tamales every year for christmas too. i always buy too much to go into a stocking and end up stuffing more prezzies onto the tree. and a new tradition i have is that every christmas morning, i kiss english and smile contentedly.
Reading yours puts me in the holiday spirit!
Sorry, I know there's a lot going on in this post and in the comments, but I'm still fixated on the fact that Wham has no friends on myspace. Seriously, even Tom is your friend by default. Is it some kind of statement? Some kind of cry of rebellion and independence? "I have a myspace and NO FRIENDS!!"
That's gonna keep the back of my mind occupied for at least the next, like, five minutes. Honestly.
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