How Xmas Has Changed
Funny how Christmas, I mean the holiday season, has changed over the years…and I’m not that old…
Politically Correct
It’s strange how less and less people say “Merry Christmas” nowadays. I agree that the politically correct (PC) term “Happy Holidays” is more appropriate. It’s just odd to hear people say alternative phrases to each other. The other day I picked up the greeting “Merry Holiday” which I thought was amusing, yet quite appropriate. I wonder what they say in the UK, since holiday means vacation; then again, I don’t think they have the PC issue there.
Shopping and Gifts
Is it me or does the shopping season getting crazier every year? I must agree that Americans give far too much stress on the gift-giving custom and not enough of family, friends, and plain old rest. Finding the right gift is a pain and people are so picky with what they want. Maybe this is why gift cards are so popular now.
I also like the following idea to help solve this problem: each adult member in large family buys for only one other adult. We do this on my wife’s side of the family and it works real well. We pick from a hat to decide who buys for whom. But the kids get presents from everyone of course.
Personally
Personally, the holidays have sure changed from being a kid, to young adulthood, to father. It used to be waking up early, opening lots of toys, then playing with them the rest of the day. Then in my 20s, it was about coming home from out of town and visiting family and friends and doing my own thing. Now it’s about family, my wife and kids, my brother and his family, my parents, in-laws, etc. Pretty crazy.
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I was thinking about writing a post just like this. For me so much of Christmas became trying to get enough presents, worrying that they were “thoughtful enough” and fear that someone would give me better and more expensive presents and I would then look like an ass.
While I loved my hectic Christmas (trying to balance both parents, and both sides of Nicole’s family) it was because of the time spent with everyone rather than anything I got.