Turning on the Holiday Spigot

[photo by flickr user The Searcher]

So when do you get “in the spirit?” I experience an odd inversion to the demands of culture. Each year while they push back holiday sales and commercials and decorations, etc. earlier and earlier, I don’t seem to feel the spirit at all until right about a week or two beforehand. Blame “The 12 Days of Christmas” maybe?

I typically work the day after Thanksgiving unless I travel for it, which is rare. I am aware of sales and deals year-round, so this season doesn’t affect me as far as shopping goes. And each year I can feel myself looking more and more down on people that are getting up crazy early to go shopping on Black Friday because there’s a must-have item for their son or daughter. I do know people that got up crazy early to get a good deal on something for themselves that they’d been wanting for a while, I think that’s different — so long as they didn’t inflict or suffer any injuries.

I don’t watch holiday commercials… well with TiVo, I barely watch any commercials, but the ones I do see are commercials that are clever and interesting without even needing the holiday overtones. I say holiday overtones, because many of them are wisely avoiding mention of either of the C-words aside from maybe decorations and colors leaning more towards Christmas than Chanukah.

About the only thing I’ve succumbed to early is holiday music. I broke out the Vince Guaraldi Trio – Charlie Brown Christmas in late November, and finally set a Pandora station to the holiday music I can stand: Jazzy Holidays! With a few exceptions, I’m not a fan or R&B or Pop Christmas songs, but I’m always up for suggestions — no Clay Aiken, please. I tried Noel from Josh Groban and I am not a fan, but I’m finding that I really like the Songs for Christmas EPs by Sufjan Stevens. I’m used to hearing about more holiday albums being released, but nothing else has gotten my attention this year. So I’m sticking to my Diana Krall, Harry Connick, Jr. and Michael Bublé and of course there will be a playing of Jamie Cullum’s “Next Year Baby” at least once or twice on New Year’s Day.

On a completely unrelated note, I’ve just learned that tomorrow, December 5 is Repeal Day! So gather with friends to celebrate our freedom to drink! 🙂 In this era, it may be one of the last freedoms we can safely enjoy…