Merry Whatever You Celebrate!
This time of year brings a mixed bag of feelings for me. My parents chose not to celebrate Christmas when I was growing up for two reasons:
Their religion did not recognize the holiday.
It was my mother’s birthday.
My brother and I would get a gift or two from my mom’s family, but we had to open them on a different day. There was never a tree or decorations in our house. But, we got to participate with our classmates in school plays and Christmas carol assemblies.
Some think childfree people must be sad and lonely at Christmas time. Well, I’ve never felt lonely as an adult the way I did as a child at Christmas time.
The year my mother passed away, my first nephew was born. For the first time, we gathered around a tree and gave gifts.
It was weird but fantastic!
Christmas guilty pleasures
Now to the part where I confess….
Candy crush—I eat a lot of Toblerone. OMG! So delicious! My dentist is going to be so mad. Well, not really. I easily pay his mortgage.
Deck the terrible Hallmark movies—Look, the sets for those films are so overstuffed with holiday decor, it’s awesome! Sure, everyone gets an unrealistic happy ending, and the characters are bland and forgettable. But, the images on the screen are lovely. Excellent background noise.
All I want for Christmas is something in a box—I love the look of many gifts under the tree. And I refuse to wrap empty boxes. As a kid, whenever I’d go with my dad to his office, there would be a big tree with fake presents, and it made me sad. So, I wrap candy. I have the regular gifts for my family, and the extra presents are chocolates in an Amazon delivery box.
Christmas in July-My tree and decorations have been up since Dec 2019. Nothing went according to plan in 2020, so it seemed fitting to leave everything up.
O come, all ye eggnog—I drink it by the carton. No shame! I am lactose-intolerant, but I don’t care.
A Royal Christmas-Photos of the British Royal Family doing their walk to church on Christmas Day. I cannot get enough. I know this year is cancelled due to C*vid so, I’ll go back and look through photos from years past. It won’t be the same without Meghan and Harry, anyway.
Making my own holiday traditions
For many years, I didn’t know what to think about Christmas Day. I didn’t get my first tree until my 30s, and I’m agnostic, so I don’t celebrate the meaning behind it. What I did like about December 25th was that everything was quiet, and the world felt calm. So, I decided to build on that and create my own meaning around the day.
Do you hear what I hear?- I created a playlist of all the carols I love to listen to. Oldies versions, modern versions, instrumental versions, you name it. Anything that makes me feel warm and cozy. I start listening to this in mid-November.
O, Christmas Tree-My younger self would be so delighted with the tree I have now. I think I was 33 when I got my first tree. It was a mini-pink thing covered in glitter. When I moved into my current townhouse, I upgraded to a full-size white tree. The pink tree is now in my office upstairs. Decorating happens in November, and I don’t get it perfect until Christmas Eve. I love listening to carols and hanging glittery things around the house.
Die Hard is barely a Xmas movie-I start watching holiday movies early because there are so many. I did do a Die Hard marathon this year. Don’t ask me why. This should actually be in the confession section. I think I was missing the late actor Alan Rickman, the only reason why I still watch Love Actually. I won’t list the movies because I know you’re busy but if you must know, message me! Basically, if it has a Xmas tree in it at any point, I watch it. The same goes for TV shows. Every seasonal episode of the Simpsons, anyone?
Food, glorious food! - I love to bake. My dad and brother give me their annual list of cookies they want. My nephews love banana bread, so that’s now on the list. I’ve never made a turkey, even for the family dinners I host. I like a ham or a roast, or chicken if I’m feeling lazy. This year, I’m doing various fancy cheeses, meats, and pieces of bread with gourmet dipping oils. Keeping it simple since all gatherings are banned in my city.
The day itself is spent watching movies, texting greetings with friends & family, and enjoying peace. Actual peace. Regardless of what’s going on, the day feels peaceful. No fuss, no muss.
That’s truly what I want on Christmas Day.
And glitter.
Childfree Pick-of-the-Week
Looking for a private Facebook group to meet some awesome childfree people? Check out The Best Childfree Life Possible! Weekly themes and fun conversations are happening in this group. And it’s positive! (Make sure you answer all the questions to gain entry.)
Final Thoughts
No one is going to have a normal Christmas this year. So, whether you celebrate the holiday or sleep through it, do something nice for yourself. Celebrate yourself. Or the fact that this year is almost over!
Until next time,
LeNora Faye