Bah Humbug?

Am I some sort of meiser? Have I traded in my Tiny Tim-like persona for that of an Ebeneezer Scrooge? I have to admit I'm afraid I'm becoming a little scrooge-ish. This year I have yet to feel the holiday spirit. It's December 1. I am not overcome with joy and looking forward to lights and Christmas songs and all the things that I normally feel this time of year. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I'm in Miami. To say that I am unaccustomed to 75 degree weather and palm trees in December is an understatement. I hate it. It sucks ass. But, the weather alone cannot possibly be the sole culprit. Sure, balmy sunny days don't make me want to rush out and throw on a wool sweater - which has been my normal winter routine for all my 28 years thus far. But, that alone cannot be the reason for my lack of holiday cheer.

Don't get me wrong, it's never really been Christmas, per se, that I've looked forward to. Not being a Christian has a lot to do with that, but I love Christmas music and Christmas cookies and all the Christmas-y things that go along with the whole celebrating Jesus' birthday thing. Being kinda sorta Jewish and kinda sorta nothing (it only makes sense if you know me, so save yourself the trouble of trying to comprehend it) doesn't preclude my enjoyment of holiday festivities in the least. All the things I associate with the winter holiday season are tough for me to experience down here in Cuba, erm, Haiti, uh I mean Miami.

First, there's no winter. Sure, there's a quarter of the year that is technically referred to as "winter" when the area is flooded with tourists and snowbirds and the people who live here full time walk around talking about how cold it is... uh, it's 75 & sunny today. WTF? Winter is integral to my holiday experience. I need snow to feel chilly and rosy-cheeked and generally joy-filled. I'm telling you right now, there is no way I'm cheery enough to let someone else have the parking spot I was waiting for in this weather. Given a little snowy frost in years past, that wasn't an uneard of event. Even at Tyson's Corner - and for those of you who've been to Northern VA, you know how much cheer that kind of generosity takes. Jess is experiencing strange warm weather-related feelings, but not to the degree that I am (which is a very good thing for her - no one should be subjected to this internal ickiness).

Second, I'm really kind of pissed that Christmas decorations came out before Halloween. Even CVS had candles and their el cheapo menorahs out the 3rd week of October. This disturbs me. I understand capitalism, folks, I know the machine behind the decoration monster - but I don't have to like it. It's an ugly monster and it has terrible halitosis.

Third, I'm broke. I always feel better about the holidays when I can lavish gifts upon people I love. This is silly. And yet - it's the truth. I love being able to make gifts for people, but I like to make them gifts in addition to the ones I spent way too much money on. This year I am making gifts (cool stuff, really) and just taking the expensive store-bought ones out of the equation. I actually think it's much healthier for all involved this way, I'm just not entirely comfortable with the idea yet. I know I always appreciate a hand-made gift more than something purchased (cases in point: K has made me 2 scarves now and I love them both and wear them even in 75 degree weather, and the birthday card that the man made me is the best I've ever received), so this is something I need to get over.

Lastly, I am saddened by all the religious debate and strife based on the winter holiday season. This article is a prime example. I am all for the separation of church & state, but a "holiday tree"? C'mon, people. That's retarded. It's a Christmas tree. I don't want to see a big menorah called the "holiday candle holder". It's a Jewish thing - a tree is a Christian thing. Duh. Let's not be childish in the bad sense. Let's be childish in the sense that we delight in the wonder and togetherness of this holiday season. If our families are far away let's keep in touch and tell them we love them. If our friends are scattered across the globe let's email them and even send them a real card via snail mail. If we find ourselves wanting to crawl into a hole and hide until after New Year's Eve let's try to be less scrooge-ish and more joyful. That's my plan. I've got to get myself out of this holiday funk and into the holiday spirit.