the holidays come sooner and sooner every year. remember when you were young and the official christmas season started the day after thanksgiving? when people put up decorations and stores magically transformed overnight? is it just me or, was it just more special then? with everyone trying to get such a huge head start these days, it's just not the same anymore.
2007-11-07 01:41:57 · 22 answers · asked by racer 51 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
It was that way for me until I spent christmas in Iraq those days are changed for me they mean something completely different like the fourth of july I know two soldiers who died that day New Years was a Massacre I will never look a life the same I can't stand anything to with those dates. The only thing that will be important to me on Christmas is to pray for the Soldiers at war because I know how hard it is there and how hard it is for them to be away from their families at that time of the year!
2007-11-07 01:56:25 · answer #1 · answered by Spec. D 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes Racer, it was more special and I wonder how we can get it back. For me, the music can start right after Thanksgiving but all the other trappings can hold off. Christmas was so wonderful and mystical for me as a child. I attended a school attached to my church and we went into the church and practiced our songs every school day after Thanksgiving break. I was in church singing Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Christmas Eve was all about Silent Night and Christmas morning was something lovely like a lullaby like Oh Little Town of Bethlehem or Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning. My little kid heart felt like it would burst when the adult choir sang The Hallelujah Chorus from the balcony. There was also a big family party Christmas day, we had the use of the local high school (small town) so us kids could have a ball running the hall and playing basketball. I'm so sad it's not like that for our kids. We've moved and are having trouble finding a church although we will absolutely attend on Christmas.
2007-11-07 01:58:12 · answer #2 · answered by Brenda P 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I remember that [I was born in 1962]. Though Christmas has long been commercial, it didn't used to be so crassly and over-the-top commercial. Since [you must admit] the whole gift-giving thing is more Santa-based than concerned with Jesus, retailers used to have fun with that and include fun Christmas graphics [Santa, elves, etc] in their print advertising and store displays. Nowadays, you're lucky if there's some hint of snowfall and, for an extra thrill, a wreath -- and don't they look lovely in black and white newspaper ads.
I now routinely see Christmas cards start sneaking into stores before LABOR DAY.
It's kind of amusing -- but ultimately rather sad -- that people get caught up into the whole gift-giving excess. That whole anal-retentive stressing about creating the "perfect" Christmas. I love to give gifts to people, but I start my shopping right after Thanksgiving and space it out. I refuse to rush through the malls and get frenzied -- that's not what the season is about.
And I see people all the time take out their frustrations on sales clerks. When that happens and it's finally my turn at the counter, I always give them a warm smile and some kind words about how well they're doing their job in light of the fact that they have to deal with so many rude clods -- it's wonderful to see the look of appreciation in their faces, both for the praise AND for getting a customer who's not being a jerk to them.
Oh, and when I was a child we put up the tree two weeks before Christmas -- a tradition I continue. And it comes down on January 6th -- the day after the 12th day of Christmas.
2007-11-07 01:51:20 · answer #3 · answered by The Snappy Miss Pippi Von Trapp 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
One reason for the feelings, "just more special then", is that it WAS.
When we were children, Christmas was magical. Our holiday was not filled with thoughts of heating bills, endless lists of things to do, and struggles to figure out where the money will come from.
We just showed up and enjoyed it!
As adults, our focuses have changed, and that is reality.
I try every year to spend a few minutes in childlike wonder at it all. At least once every Christmas, I pop in Christmas music, dim all the lights in the house except the tree/decoration, pour a nice glass of wine (or hot toddy/hot chocolate) and sit on the floor admiring the sparkling tree and remembering happiness from Christmas's past.
Does it change any of my stress instantly into happiness? No. But it does provide me with a few moments of happiness and sanity in an ever increasing insane world.
Peace and Merry Christmas to you and yours.
2007-11-07 01:53:26 · answer #4 · answered by Gem 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
We used to go to grandma up norths house and everyone bought for everybody. In retrospect that probably got expensive as we are a working class family. Now we draw names. Christmas does not feel like the magic time that it did but that may be because the magic time of childhood is gone, I can't be sure. I wonder if my children feel the way we did back then? It sure seems different from this end. I hope that they do. It just all feels so commercialized and petty. I still enjoy watching my kids and closest family member open their gifts and that is still a very good feeling.
Pesky2012
2007-11-07 01:52:38 · answer #5 · answered by pesky2012 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Christmas just isn't as special anymore to some people. I was driving down the road the day after Halloween and saw that people were already decorating for Christmas. Then go to the store only to find that they already have everything decorated and ready for Christmas. What happened to traditions? However, I can't wait till the day after Thanksgiving and get my tree up and decorated and start getting into the Christmas Spirit!!!
2007-11-07 01:46:02 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Christmas when I was young was great. I don't remember seeing Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas items mixed together in the stores. It use to be Halloween items in October. After that you would see Thanksgiving items. Then yes after Thanksgiving things would be Christmas. It was great when I was younger. This year it kind of ticked me off when I walked into a store and saw all three holidays. Kind of ruins Halloween and Thanksgiving. I totally agree with you.
2007-11-07 04:36:06 · answer #7 · answered by CherishTheMoment 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Excellent point, however it is all relevant to ones age.
Take me, for example...I'm an old geezer.
Back in the late 1950's and early 1960's, Christmas didn't seem to get into gear until after Thanksgiving.
Sure, there were sales and such, but it wasn't so consumer-driven by the merchants.
By the late '60's, I was becoming aware of the commercialization of Christmas...and the bland, pointless expression that check-out clerks would blurt out without emotion: "Thank you and have a happy Christmas".
I stopped celebrating Christmas by the early 1970's due to the changes from a religious event to one of "buy-buy-buy".
2007-11-07 01:48:25 · answer #8 · answered by docscholl 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Christmas is what you make it. Store will always hype it up because they want your money, but to you it should be special. Listen to Christmas songs on the radio, read what Chirstmas is really about except looking at all the retail trying to get your money because they are greedy. Think about when it was special for you and remember that feeling. Do something good for soemone just because, in Chicago they have a Secret Santa for kids who may not get anything for Christmas, you get involved with that, it makes you feel good and makes you remember what Christmas is really about! So, bake some cookies and remember to when you were younger!
2007-11-07 01:48:25 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
No it's not just you. Christmas has gotten more and more commercial over the years. My favorite thing about the holidays now is to watch the news and see how many brawls and near riots happened at the day after Thanksgiving sales. (Tis the season to be jolly, lol) I hate how gift giving has lost so much of its meaning and everyone seems to have their hand out...when I was a kid it was simple.
2007-11-07 01:47:08 · answer #10 · answered by Gloria H 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋