Heart and Mind

Christmas Decorations After Christmas

I generally leave my tree, lights, and Christmas decorations up until New Year's day. At that point, I am well ready to take them down. In fact, Christmas decorations seem weird—even a bit depressing—for the entire week between Christmas and New Year's.

Christmas, ultimately, is all about the anticipation. It's about the coming of the holiday even more so than the holiday itself. In an ideal scenario that seems never to exist (see my previous blog entry), the Christmas season is a month-long wonderland that encompasses all of the December days leading up to the twenty-fifth. The magic of Christmas, perceived or real, even increases the value of Thanksgiving, which, while cool by itself, really packs a punch because it kicks off the "holiday season." The time when the plates from the turkey meal are cleared in November marks the crossing of a line: Christmas songs are not permitted in my world before that time, but they are 100% legitimate—encouraged, even—after it. That's when it all begins.

In theory, it ends on New Year's, for most people, but for me, it almost always ends on Christmas Day itself. Ironically, it ends well before the day is even over. In fact, once the morning presents have been exchanged—and I'm talking about the joy of giving as much as receiving, lest you judge me to be "in it for the gifts"—there is this sense that we've climaxed, that the big bang we've been anticipating has occurred. Now, we just play with our new toys, relax with our family, and basically crash from the season-long race we just ran to get to this finish line.

When I get home on Christmas night, there's no real shimmer or beauty to the lights and the tree anymore. They seem out of place. I'll live with them for the next week, but they don't bring me the same joy. The decorations seem to represent an upcoming chore, as I will soon have to put them all away and get back to a normal grind. How can they not? I put them up because December 25 is coming. December 25 is now gone.

By January 15 or so, the holiday season will have seemed like it was a million years ago. I'll see an occasional house that still is lit up with Christmas lights and think to myself, "How odd! Christmas was ages ago."

posted by Steve @ 9:33 PM