2007
Dec 
26

Post-Christmas Reflections

8:20  
 

I am never celebrating Christmas again.

Jewish Christmas

This is the second year in a row in which I have spent the Christmas holiday essentially by myself. Last year, I was still sort of laid-up from having just had surgery, and didn’t feel like traveling. This year, of course, I am in Egypt.

Now—so that we are all on the same page—I don’t celebrate Christmas anyway. Years ago, as a child, I decided that I didn’t understand why we celebrated this holiday. My family isn’t religious at all, and I saw this a religious holiday. If you don’t think it is a religious holiday, go to a midnight mass. The other side of the holiday—the secular expression of consumerist glee—disgusts me. Not to mention that this holiday provides everyone who does celebrate it with a month-long nightmare of stress, fighting with relatives who think that they know better than you, generally rude and angry public behavior, and more!

When given all these data:

  1. Non-religious family
  2. Disgust for consumerism and wasteful behavior
  3. Stress, patronizing family, hateful, anti-social behavior = negatives

I conclude:

  • I shouldn’t partake in the celebration of this Holiday, because I will never be in the “spirit,” as they say.

I feel like this is a totally reasonable conclusion to reach. However, this holiday will be enforced regardless. I did partake in its celebration while my Grandmother was still alive, because it was her favorite holiday. However, after her passing two years ago, I have felt no obligation whatsoever. It feels great.

Last year I practically forgot. Being drugged up from surgery addles your brain a little bit. I was reminded because my parents and grandfather came to see me and we went out for Jewish Christmas. It was nice for a change. I had delicious Kosher spring rolls and mixed vegetables in spicy black bean sauce.

This year I did forget and had to be reminded that it was Christmas the next day by a Muslim friend. I had mused that it seemed really busy as we walked by a Coptic church.

We were on our way to a Chinese restaurant, where they played Christmas carols on a maniacal loop. I had fried rice and spicy seafood soup.

Ahhhh.

I hope that everyone enjoyed Christmas. I sure did.

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