Manic Motherhood at it's FINEST!!

Why "I am NOT a VOLCANO!"

Why "I am NOT a VOLCANO!"
click the volcano for the due explanation
"In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." — Gordon B. Hinckley
Exaggeration is the spice of life

Book I am Currently Reading: Peter and The Shadow Thief

Monday, November 8, 2010

Touchy Topic Tuesday: Christmas Before Thanksgiving???

Touchy Topic Tuesday



Christmas Before Thanksgiving????







So, I love autumn. And I love Halloween. I love the crispness that comes into the air, the rain, the colors changing all over, lighting trees and bushes alight as though they were on fire.

As a mother, i have grown to love Halloween even more. I love watching the kids decide what they want to be, and choose their costumes. I love the details they come up with- like, Lilly insisting that she needed to have blue hair to be the corpse bride, and Mahone being too serious to join in the dancy Halloween songs we sang at one party because Indiana Jones would NEVER do the goblin-pokey.

And two days after Halloween, I walked into Wal*Mart to find a giant, beautifully decorated Christmas tree.

On Facebook, I am seeing more and more people brag about how they have accomplished their Christmas shopping already.

And in retaliation, person after person types exclamations of disgust about Thanksgiving not getting it's day.

Well, frankly, I hate Thanksgiving. I don't like thanksgiving food, and ever since I've been married, I have had to endure 4 different Thanksgivings every year because apparently it's just TOO important to miss, so I have to eat 4 versions of the same dinner.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm very THANKFUL, and I appreciate the intention behind the holiday, but I just can't stand the day.

Christmas, on the other hand, IS my favorite holiday.

And I don't just start after Halloween. I listen to Christmas music all year long. Every night, I play CDs of lullabies while my children drift off to sleep. And they're Christmas songs.

Seeing the tree at Wal*Mart didn't upset me at all. In fact, it only inspired me. I rushed right over to the seasonal isle, only to be disappointed (yes, I truly was) that they were still clearancing summer plants.

I, too, have already started Christmas shopping, and soon I will be finished.

For our anniversary on November 21, Brandon and I will be seeing a Christmas play.

I. Love. Christmas.

And it just can't start too early for me.

Now, I know that a lot of people feel that Thanksgiving deserves it's fair share of attention. And it does. To my knowledge, Thanksgiving has never been canceled. I've had at least one Thanksgiving dinner every year of my life. In fact, my youngest brother was BORN on Thanksgiving, and that was a particularly special Thanksgiving that I'll never forget.


But lets face it. Aside from meeting with family, which is always, ALWAYS a pleasure, there is nothing else TO Thanksgiving. There is no music pertaining to Thanksgiving, there aren't really any great decorations, and there is no gift giving, no exchange of sentiments.

I mean, of course, it's always wonderful to talk to our children about being thankful, and ask them what they are thankful for, and the answers are always deliciously sweet. But, personally, I find the whole thing tedious and drab.

I know, also, that the other common argument for the disdain for Christmas advertisement is the belief that Christmas is overly commercialized.

Well, Christmas most certainly IS commercialized. I am already starting to see commercials on television advertising sentimental jewelry and walking-talking dolls that pee when you feed them a bottle. I also, very happily, received some valuable Christmas decoration coupons from Tai Pan Trading Company advertising 25% off of any Christmas tree (which, I might add, were huge and gorgeous.)

I am a Christian mother, and when it comes to Christmas, it is a duty that both my husband and I take very seriously to keep my children's minds in the right place when the big guy in red comes to town.

It's a daily discussion at Christmas time, about how Christ was born in a stable, and that, as his birthday, we celebrate by giving each other gifts. This year, for Christmas, instead of buying our children presents from Mom and Dad, they will choose the name of a child their own age off of an angel tree, and we will be buying presents for that child. They will have no gifts to open from us at all. And they have known this since July, we have discussed it in length, and hopefully the idea and importance of charity and selflessness throughout the holidays will seep into their little brains and hearts.

And yet, I don't mind the commercialization at all. I love Christmas commercials advertising everything- especially when they're adorable or hilarious.










And, I just LOVE buying presents. I love going overboard. i love to see my kids wake up to Christmas morning and what Santa brought them, wrapped in colorful, metallic paper and piled high across the room. I love to sit and think about each recipient of my gifts on an individual basis to try and find the thing they love most. something that will inspire them. Something that will make them gasp- in the good, surprised way.
And it goes without saying, I love to get gifts too.
I think that there are two separate parts of Christmas. The spiritual kind and the commercial kind. And if you can figure out how to keep them separate, then in my book, it's all okay.

So, how do YOU feel about Christmas in November? Do you love Christmas? Or do you feel that Thanksgiving gets the back burner? Let us know!!!

9 comments:

Kennagurl said...

I like Thanksgiving. I LOVE Christmas !! I do enjoy thanksgiving day though. We wake up and watch the macys day parade, drink coffee and eat coffee cake. Its like the official day that Christmas can start in my mind.

Eschelle Westwood Mumfection said...

LOL i love the cartoons!! Since mine is in Oct. Turkey's don't have any reason to yell and scream at santa... only ummm i guess trick-or-treaters!! which would also make a humorous cartoon lol!

Allison {Live Love Small} said...

i love thanksgiving because that means christmas is close...i love the decorations, lights and buying presents and spoiling the kiddos!

Chapel said...

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It's great to visit family and eat delicious food ALL DAY LONG. It's a relaxing day. To my Wife, it is the holiday to rule them all. :) And it's always fun to share in her excitement. We are a family that roots for the underdog, and let's face it, Thanksgiving is about as underdog as a holiday can get. We love it so much that we plan 2 Thanksgivings, one for my family, and one for hers. It works out splendidly! We get together with my family the weekend before Thanksgiving, and then my parents release their children (nearly all of whom are now married) to spend actual Thanksgiving with our in-laws if we wish. There's no fighting over who gets who for the holiday, and to top it all off, we get to savor and enjoy two complete Thanksgiving dinners.

Don't get me wrong, we love Christmas. The lights, the music, Muppet Christmas Carol, our traditional Bethlehem Dinner on Christmas Eve... It's all great! I wish it could last a little longer every year, but not at the expense of one of my other favorite holidays, Thanksgiving. You say there isn't much to Thanksgiving, and I agree with you, there isn't, but I think it is because Christmas has become so huge. Christmas is a great holiday, and I realize that not everyone loves Thanksgiving, but because Christmas so far overshadows Thanksgiving, those of us who DO love Thanksgiving feel a little cheated out of the proper celebration of our Holiday.

Lisa said...

Thanks for stopping by! I'm your newest follower! :)

Lisa xoxo
http://RaisingFutureLeaders.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

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Sara Hickman designs said...

Thanks for following. I am following you back. :)

I, like you, LOVE Christmas. I start listening to Christmas music in July, off and on. Around Halloween the Christian Music station starts playing Christmas music, all day every day until Christmas. When I am in the car or home alone I listen. (My husband enjoys it, but not as borderline obsessively as I do, so I will change it when he is around.) They use this time of year to remind people of the spiritual meaning of Christmas. I think it's great. I am told many, many times that "It's not even THANKSGIVING yet!" These comments always come from people who find this time of the year stressful because it "cost so much money."

If that is how you feel about this time of the year, then I am sorry, but you are missing the whole point!

I like how you said, "I love to sit and think about each recipient of my gifts on an individual basis to try and find the thing they love most. something that will inspire them. Something that will make them gasp- in the good, surprised way." I feel the same way. I actually get offended when people want gift cards from me. I get just as offended when I am given a gift card, or cash. I take the time to think about the recipient and to think of what they would like. More people should do the same. I can tell you are a good gift giver.

As for the actual shopping. I start shopping right after Christmas. I have people who love collect different Christmas knick-knacks. For example, my mother and sister-in-law both have huge Christmas villages and always love things to add to them. I know this is important to them, so I start EARLY! I have to start early though. This is our December Birthdays 18(child), 23(nephew), 24(brother), Christmas, 30(father-in-law)! If I don't start early I would have to win the lottery. And you cannot just combine a child's birthday with Christmas, that is just not fair. They didn't pick when to enter the world.

I am sorry to all the Thanksgiving "lovers" out there. I hate it. I have to bring rolls to my in-laws house every year. AND I CAN COOK! It's so insulting! (Oh and my family spread out over 3 states, so we rarely get together.) They will never change what they make it is the same thing every, every year because it is tradition. Every year I eat Turkey, cranberry sauce and the rolls I bring. The mashed potatoes they make are disgusting (they add ranch dressing, onions and garlic), and the green been thing they make looks like puke in a pot. Sorry to be so descriptive, but it is. Every year they talk about changing the meal for Christmas and my brother in law says, "No it is tradition to eat thanksgiving meal again on Christmas" Last year I piped up, (I could be sassy with an excuse). "It depends on the family you grew up with, we only ate Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving!" I need to stop about this or I could go on and on and on. Sorry not a fan of Thanksgiving Day.

I would like to say though, the idea is great. I take it out to the whole month. I write what I am thankful for every day on my blog and why.

I guess this is a little long. Sorry, guess I just had a lot to say. :)

www.thehickmanfour.blogspot.com
www.touchofhomelearning.blogspot.com

Sara Hickman designs said...

Also - put a link to your blog on today's Month of Thanks post (www.thehickmanfour.blogspot.com)

beth said...

My Christmas CD was bumped for 2 days for 60s spooky music. I do love Thanksgiving but It can look like Christmas while I celebrate it.

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