The purpose of a holiday is completely without merit unless you can hold to that purpose beyond midnight.
~ Codex Anima
Most of the people I know, with people such as Andariel or Chrysalis chief among them, see this as a magical time of year. It's the one time of year where everyone's supposed to put on a smile and be festive and jolly. I fail to see it.
You can call me cynical if you wish, but there's a waiting line a mile long for the pleasure. As I write this, I am also looking at the latest news: allegations of corruption in Pakistan; forced deportation of refugees in Cambodia. The only things I see which does not show typical human nature is a force mankind cannot contend with, that being a high degree of risk from a volcanic eruption in the Phillipines.
At a local mall a few weeks ago, I happened across a group from the Salvation Army accepting donations to their cause. Religious differences aside, I applaud these people for holding to the lessons of the Good Samaritan, one of the few parts of their holy writ I find myself agreeing with. As I dropped ten dollars into their kettle, I found myself wondering why I have never seen them taking donations during the rest of the year. And the answer came back as sharp as a bell: this is the only time of year people set aside for giving to their fellow man. So, I turned around, and dropped in another ten.
A few days ago at my current residence, I saw Barbatos assisting her underlings in setting up a plastic Christmas tree. I admit to a sense of nostalgia at the time, back to the days when I would have gladly assisted in this. Yes, once upon a time, I too was young and innocent. The feeling vanished when our feline-sans-tail became curious and moved too close, earning him a well-placed foot to the rump. I suppose holiday spirit is only to be shared with other humans.
The fact is, we retain Christmas as a time to celebrate with family. But so often those wonderful should come pre-equipped with small arms - it may make them less bloody. My own family no longer holds these annual reunions, due mainly to the fact that none of them can stand being anywhere near each other. The reasons are so trivial and redundant, I can't understand why they should be kept anywhere but the distant past.
In the end, it's quite the Greek tragedy. The only thing that seems to last beyond Christmas anymore is the angst it seems to generate. You can feel free to celebrate these holidays as you wish, but realize I too will be holding to my own time-honored holiday plans: having a simple dinner for one, and retiring to continue research on one of my various projects. It's a tradition I've held to for some time, and one that needs not wait for one day of the year.
~ Codex Anima
Most of the people I know, with people such as Andariel or Chrysalis chief among them, see this as a magical time of year. It's the one time of year where everyone's supposed to put on a smile and be festive and jolly. I fail to see it.
You can call me cynical if you wish, but there's a waiting line a mile long for the pleasure. As I write this, I am also looking at the latest news: allegations of corruption in Pakistan; forced deportation of refugees in Cambodia. The only things I see which does not show typical human nature is a force mankind cannot contend with, that being a high degree of risk from a volcanic eruption in the Phillipines.
At a local mall a few weeks ago, I happened across a group from the Salvation Army accepting donations to their cause. Religious differences aside, I applaud these people for holding to the lessons of the Good Samaritan, one of the few parts of their holy writ I find myself agreeing with. As I dropped ten dollars into their kettle, I found myself wondering why I have never seen them taking donations during the rest of the year. And the answer came back as sharp as a bell: this is the only time of year people set aside for giving to their fellow man. So, I turned around, and dropped in another ten.
A few days ago at my current residence, I saw Barbatos assisting her underlings in setting up a plastic Christmas tree. I admit to a sense of nostalgia at the time, back to the days when I would have gladly assisted in this. Yes, once upon a time, I too was young and innocent. The feeling vanished when our feline-sans-tail became curious and moved too close, earning him a well-placed foot to the rump. I suppose holiday spirit is only to be shared with other humans.
The fact is, we retain Christmas as a time to celebrate with family. But so often those wonderful should come pre-equipped with small arms - it may make them less bloody. My own family no longer holds these annual reunions, due mainly to the fact that none of them can stand being anywhere near each other. The reasons are so trivial and redundant, I can't understand why they should be kept anywhere but the distant past.
In the end, it's quite the Greek tragedy. The only thing that seems to last beyond Christmas anymore is the angst it seems to generate. You can feel free to celebrate these holidays as you wish, but realize I too will be holding to my own time-honored holiday plans: having a simple dinner for one, and retiring to continue research on one of my various projects. It's a tradition I've held to for some time, and one that needs not wait for one day of the year.
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