The True Spirit of Christmas

So many people make a big fuss over the holiday season, my family included. I just can't get into the whole month of preparation and cooking and shopping for one day that has been so totally blown out of proportion.

That whole, big tree, elaborate holiday dinner, and family gatherings up the wazzoo thing isn't my deal. I would much prefer sitting around on the couch watching Miracle on 34th street with my friends, a white aluminum tree decorated with a box of the old shinybrite decorations [[the ones that my mom doesn't let us put on the tree because "the other ones we have are so beautiful, Jaclyn, we don't need to use old ones."]] sitting in the corner, telling funny holiday stories while drinking a vodka and cranberry. That's all I want out of the holidays. I want candles lit, incense burning, friends over, and Lorena McKennitt singing out of the stereo speakers. No big holiday fuss, no 6 hours of cooking on Christmas Eve Day. Just pizza and beer with friends is fine. Have a fire going. Turn the Roomba on and let it torture the dog as it chases her around the room.

Ah, how simple it all could be.

Instead, we all compete to out do each other on the holidays. Whether its putting up more lights than your neighbors to win the Home Owner's Association's Contest, or having an ostentatious meal in which the whole goal is to out do your sister-in-law who hosted Christmas last year. The competition that has become the holiday season has eroded away the true meaning of it all.

No, not Jesus. Not even family. Candy Canes. Yes. To me, a candy cane wraps up the entire holiday season quite nicely. Our family doesn't get along all too well on a normal basis, forcing us to play nice while under the extreme stress of the holidays is just asking for trouble. We're half Jewish, so the birth of Messiah thing doesn't work for us. So really, Candy Canes are the only available option.

Candy Canes are the embodiment of self-indulgence in my mind. They are a candy that are only available for purchase at Christmas time, come in almost any flavor imaginable, and come in boxes of like 50. They are the one thing that we look forward to when December rolls around: The ability to stuff our face with hard candy and not feel guilty because it's festive.

So everybody, simplify your holiday, and go buy some candy canes