We have a benignly strict tradition in our house, carried forward from my own childhood restriction: no Christmas music until Santa arrives at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. It's a rule that has come to mean more to me as I've gotten older, to reserve the November holiday for family, and food, and giving thanks before the jolly Christmas mayhem begins.
A good tradition, yes....but I've been Christmas shopping since July. Without the music, I promise, but there have been gifts set aside for quite awhile.
Did that stop me from taking advantage of online sales last Friday? Nope.
Did I do even more damage to my credit card on Cyber Monday? Yep.
Are we still in November? Another confirmed yes, according to the Sandra Boynton calendar on my kitchen pantry door.
It's hard to think of the days after Thanksgiving, up to December first, as November. November is brown, leaves falling, turkey basting, the smell of sage stuffing and apple pie baking. December is sparkling red and green and white, pop carols on the radio, wrapping paper on the living room floor, gingerbread in the oven...except, wait, all that is happening, and it's...still...November.
Thank goodness this situation will be set aright when I flip that calendar page on Thursday.
Our longstanding tradition has always been no Christmas tree until after Thanksgiving. This year we will be gone for a couple of weeks in December. It was extremely cold and rainy leading up to Thanksgiving, so we put up the tree a week and a half before TG with no regrets.
ReplyDeleteGreat way of showing that tension! Are we prepared or are we letting each holiday season have its proper time. We all want both! I enjoyed your vivid details- Santa in the parade, wrapping papers all over the floor. (Sorry to be anonymous, this is Fran Mc)
ReplyDeleteI wish to congratulate you on gift shopping done before December. One thing less to think about. I don't like Christmas stuff in stores before December yet it does not stop me from eating gingerbread cookies and drinking Christmas flavoured tea.
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