I am the first to admit that I am a total grinch when it comes to the holidays. The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's are definitely not my favorite time of year. I don't like the cold; I don't like the commercialism; I don't like what gift exchanging has turned into; and I don't like the stress of get-togethers (families pulling everyone back and forth and getting frustrated with each other).
In the words of Tim Allen on Home Improvement: "Christmas isn't about being with people you like! It's about being with family." Hahahaha.
When I was a kid, I love Christmas! I enjoyed the tradition of going to my aunt's house on Christmas Eve for dinner, then going home and being SO excited to go to bed and open gifts in the morning. A lot of times, we went to the movies or out for Chinese food on Christmas (the only things open). Otherwise we stayed in pajamas all day, playing with our new toys.
It's all changed so much! (Even for today's kids.) So, I am a grinch. However, rather than make a total downer of a post, I thought I would enlist Jerry's ideas for three things that he LOVES about Christmas. Jerry has always been ridiculously into Christmas. He really doesn't like how it's gone downhill over the years, but he keeps on going with the nostalgic feelings he gets around Christmastime.
So, here are three of Jerry's favorite things about Christmas:
1. Christmas movies and music.
Even though I'm a grinch, the weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas are entirely Jerry's--I always promise not to complain about the Christmas music or movies or having the Christmas tree take up a big corner of the living room. I make a special breakfast on Christmas day. I basically follow Jerry's lead when it comes to stuff like that because I want the month to be special for him since he loves it so much.
Jerry's very favorite Christmas movie is "It's a Wonderful Life". I think that's so random! I watched it with him a couple of years ago and I absolutely don't see the appeal--my favorite Christmas movie is "Bad Santa" with the hilarious Billy Bob Thornton, or "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". When I'm looking for something sappy, I go for "The Christmas Shoes". Jerry watches, other than "It's a Wonderful Life" and the ones I mentioned, "Home Alone", "A Christmas Story", the Christmas specials like Charlie Brown and Rudolph, and pretty much any Christmas movie he comes across on tv.
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| Jerry and his sister, Laura. Remember when getting photos taken at Sears was a thing? |
2. Decorations.
Jerry loves Christmas decorations. Unfortunately, we really don't have any except for our tree! Without having a basement or an attic, buying a ton of decorations would take up a lot of garage space for 11 months out of the year. However, he does like to drive around and look at Christmas lights and decorations that people have outside, so I'll do that with him.
Speaking of decorations... just for fun, here is a short video of Duck making his way DOWN from the Christmas tree. HAHAHA. (This was after he'd already climbed up, knocking down decorations and even the star on top.) [Normally, I am NOT a vertical video person, but it worked better for this moment.]
3. Nostalgia.
I asked Jerry what Christmas was like as a kid for him, and this is what he said:
"We had big family Christmas parties which were pretty much like family reunions--everybody was there and all of the kids received gifts. I always hope for a white Christmas, because I can remember having heavy snow back then. I was always so excited about getting new toys on Christmas morning--I remember going through the Sears or JC Penny catalogue and circling the things that I hoped Santa would bring me. I can still remember the feel of those pages, and the catalogue was probably thicker than the Bible.
I can remember celebrating at school with classroom parties and secret Santas. And Santa's Secret Shop! At school, they had a little shop set up where you could bring money and buy gifts for people on your list. It was all total junk, but it was exciting as a kid. I can also remember making cut-out sugar cookies and loading them with frosting. The shapes of the cookies never looked like they were supposed to, and somehow always ended up looking phallic. The good old days."
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I do have to agree with Jerry on the nostalgia. I also loved to go through catalogues and circle the things I wanted. I wish catalogues were still a thing (the old-school ones). I think Christmas is just more exciting when you're a kid; you don't have to do any of the work or deal with the stress and you reap all the reward! The parents were the ones who put parties on the calendar and told us what to wear. They dealt with relatives and trying to please everyone, or at least compromise. They cooked the food and did the shopping at chaotic stores that were packed with people and then they came home and wrapped the gifts.
Once you become an adult, Christmas is totally different, haha ;) But I'm glad that Jerry still has the spirit of Christmas. He has been positively giddy while listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies. It's kind of cute to watch his excitement!
I'll leave you with this picture to laugh at. Go ahead and make fun! ;) I don't know what my mom was thinking with those clothes or my hair.
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| Christmas 1985 |
I totally feel this!! Christmas was SO fun as a kid! The family parties were huge and everyone brought a dish to pass and all of us cousins would play together for hours. And yes circling pretty much every item in the catalogs hoping we would get it all from Santa ;) The Fleet Farm Toyland ad was a huge deal in our house! Hahaha. I have been feeling a little grinchy the last couple of years so I get it. I get sucked in to watching nostalgic videos from the 90's when Christmas felt like it was at its peak! (Or maybe it's because I was a kid in the 90's hahaha). But this year I have my very first niece and I'm so excited to spoil her so it has given me a little Christmas magic back! Seeing Christmas through a kid's eyes certainly makes it more fun anyways!
ReplyDeleteI usually find you so relatable, but not with Christmas, haha! I am the complete opposite! I have 4 trees up this year, my love language is gift giving and I love to shop for the perfect gifts for my loved ones, I work so hard to keep the magic of Christmas alive for our 10 year old. My husband and I usually get in one fight a year, we usually get along very well. But I got so mad at him last weekend because we were looking at Christmas lights and it was crowded and he hated every minute of it. I kept wanting to stop for pictures and I was getting on his ever last nerve. I told him he ruined it for me and I ended up crying on the way home. We are Jerry and Katie reversed ;-)
ReplyDeleteCould you make a bit of room for Jerry to have some Christmas lights? You did so much work on the garage, I'm sure you could make it work to store a couple boxes of them!
ReplyDeleteI don't think Christmas is that different, maybe it's your experience of Christmas that has changed as an adult rather than a child. We are lucky to have two young granddaughters to experience Christmas with, and they definitely feel the excitement and magic of the holiday. And through them we get to experience it also. ❤️
ReplyDeleteI just find it causes so much extra stress. My sister always wants to have me come over, but I have food allergies and she isn't willing to accommodate (she'll say she is, and then serve a giant frittata, when I'm allergic to eggs). But she has celiac, so I can't bring my own food because their house is gluten free. And she always insists that we do breakfast, not some time of day that wouldn't require food to be involved. Ugh.
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