I’m Kind of a Grinch
I’m kind of a grinch when it comes to the holidays. Well, to tell the truth, I am a grinch.
All religious aspects of the holidays aside, I’d rather jump from Thanksgiving right into the new year.
The YMCA I frequent started playing Christmas music around the clock the day after Halloween. Really? Can we give it just a few weeks before Rudolph, Bing Crosby, and snow-filled celebrations flood the gym’s airwaves?
I haven’t always been this way.
As a kid, I loved the holidays. I was amazed on Christmas when I saw the leftover crumbs after Santa ate the cookies I put out for him. He always left me a note of thanks, too. I never realized that Santa’s handwriting looked just like my mother’s.
Years ago, my husband and I owned a spacious home that became the holiday house, any holiday—Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s. We decorated and filled the house with people. If someone didn’t have a place to go, we always had room for one more. And I loved it—then.
Now, I don’t have the desire for most of it. We haven’t put up a Christmas tree or decorated the house in years. The only evidence of the season in our place is a big poinsettia from Costco. Sharing a quiet meal with a few friends is more than enough celebration for me.
Plus, I hate to shop. My friends tell me when it’s time to buy new clothes, and they take me to buy what I need. Roaming around stores and rummaging through sales rack is not fun for me. I’d rather have my teeth pulled.
I also don’t enjoy buying presents for others, and I’d rather not receive them because I feel pressured either way. Bob and I quit giving each other gifts years ago.
If we want something, we buy it, and we have everything we could ever need or want. We often go for experiences and justify them by calling them gifts, like the VIP tickets I wanted to see Derek Hough’s Symphony of Dance tour in Orlando this month. That’s serving as my birthday, anniversary, and Christmas presents.
Yeah, I’m a grinch, a bonified bah-humbug person.
I’ll keep my comments to myself and try not to ruin the holidays for you, but don’t expect a gift or even a card from me or look for me to be excited about singing Christmas carols.
On a totally different note, I intend to release a Sunday Story only once per month going forward. I love writing these musings and appreciate you reading them, but I’m spending half the day writing, creating posts, generating emails, and whatnot for the Sunday Stories.
You can still expect to see a new writing video every Thursday, but you’ll have to wait for a new story until the first Sunday of each month.
What’s your experience of the holidays? Do you have traditions you’ve maintained for years? Has your experience of the holidays changed over time? Do you enjoy giving and receiving gifts? Do you decorate your house? Or, are you a grinch like me? Tell us about how you observe the holidays, or not.
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Wow, I didn’t know Hough was in town. I would like to see one of his shows some day. He is such a talented dancer. As for the holidays, I enjoy them and all the iterations of celebrating them. The celebrations of my youth evolved into the celebrations of my traveling military career, which morphed into the ways of celebrating my creativity could muster during my caregiver years, and currently are now becoming whatever they shall be as I figure out this season of “life after caregiving.” The expressions of each have changed over the years but the meaning has… Read more »
Christmas in my youth used to be magical in its very simplicity. It was not the frenzied commercial circus we have allowed it to become when vendors stack their shelves before the first leaf has fallen from the trees. It had nothing to do with Black Friday and supersales. It was all about celebrating a special day with family – and with Baby Jesus. My fondest memories are of Christmas Eve with Mom’s family. It was a yearly tradition. My aunt and my uncle alternated hosting our get-together starting around suppertime. They did not serve a sit-down dinner with… Read more »
Well, I’ve LOVED Christmas since I was a kid and still do to this day. I put up my tree (well, Joe puts up the tree) and I decorate. Each ornament has a special meaning of a person or place we love from family and friends to Maui or Maine. Every morning I turn on the lights and enjoy its memories. It is a special time of prayer and thanks for all God’s gifts. I know the season can be overwhelming with music and TV ads, but I still hold the reason for the season close to my heart so… Read more »
Christmas is a time for small children. Adults really shouldn’t be allowed to celebrate without child supervision. We just don’t have enough imagination and wonder on our own. I enjoyed the Christmases of my childhood the most, and those of my children second best. Now we put up the decorations but most of the joy is gone, replaced by an overpowering sense of obligation. But I do fondly remember my younger days… I remember going to the tree farm. Christmas music traveled on the cold air to all corners of the lot from strategically placed loudspeakers. And we walked for… Read more »
Hey Ms. Grinch, I’m right with ‘ya. As a kid, I did all the house decorating. Even decorated my beautician’s display window. Now, I still put up a few decorations and send food gift packages to close friends. No shopping. Can’t stand the crowds and hunting for parking spaces. How do you get excited hearing Frosty the snowman for 50 gillion times? I prefer the Mormon Tabernacle Choir or Mannheim Steamroller. Happy holidays everyone and a healthy and prosperous New Year!
I love Christmas time! We have five trees with different themes, plus an extensive Christmas village display. Living in SW Florida means not having to brave the elements to put decorations outside, so we do that as well. I love to give gifts and I’ve always had a knack for choosing gifts that seem to be appreciated. Our kids are grown and live in other states, but we make the trek to the house with grandkids and take plenty of presents. I love their reactions to whatever we bring. My husband and I don’t share many gifts because – like… Read more »
Hi, Lori. You sound like my mother. She loved Christmas and loved to decorate. She had trees all over her house and kept one up year round, just changing the ornaments to the next holiday. One of my favorites was her Mardi Gras tree, very colorful in purple, green, and gold. Enjoy the holidays.
Picturing the Mardi Gras tree brings big smiles to me. My mother-in-law, a petite Latin Lady, had a two-story inside tree that was placed in the foyer, filling the space going up the two floors of winding stairs. She always hid a bird-chirping thing in that tree. This chirp became most annoying after listening to it for several holiday hours. After several drinks, some of the family members went on the hunt for the chirping. Then the party began.
2023 Traditions reveal what you value enough to repeat. Grandma Martinez taught me many things. She loved Christmas for her family; I learned to experience the holidays through her eyes. I did not know how to enjoy Christmas, Santa, or gifts. My mother’s church taught they were worldly, a pagan holiday, and a sin. Sixteen years ago, Felix received a bleak health diagnosis. His life depended on blood transfusions. Our daughter-in-law Maria hosted an event with a fire truck for Santa’s arrival that year. We dressed Felix in a Santa suit and had him ride in the front seat of… Read more »
What a beautiful tribute and tradition, Holly. I pray for the gift of breath for Papa Santa this year. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you.
I’m glad to know I’m not the only Grinch! I’ve always been that way, trying to get by doing the minimum without letting others down. I much prefer celebrating Easter and Thanksgiving so long as celebrations don’t get too commercial on me!
Hi, Laney. We grinches have to stand together. All my friends love the holidays. Even the Jewish ones celebrate Christmas, so I always feel like the wet blanket in the group. I hope the holidays go by quickly for you too.
The monthly sounds much more manageable! Love it. Lucky you – now I put seeing David Hough on my list. Have fun!
Thanks for understanding, Kit. Derek is an amazing dancer, but he seems like a great human being as well.