So why is it that Christmas is the only time for family? Yes, I am only half joking about the Bah Humbug. I don't understand why it isn't year 'round. Western mentioned the food. Many of us have good food, all year, and usually even more in the summer. Go look through the Spring/Summer thread and see what all jinman was cooking, all summer from his garden.
A fire in the fireplace, had that going 24/7 for many days already, and it isn't even Winter Solstice. It will burn into Jan and Feb, so don't need Christmas for that.
My dad worked Christmas most of my younger years. The highlight of the season was driving through downtown Fort Worth, and seeing all of the motion decorations in the windows of the stores. Those were magical. I don't think I have seen any decorations that can compare, even in this age of technology. But we didn't do that Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, because dad always worked those days too. We went the week before Christmas. (After all, no one put their decorations up before Thanksgiving, back then!) We often had Christmas on Dec. 18 or 19, before dad had to go on the road again, or on Dec. 28 or 29.
When I began flying freight, many times we'd get the overnight package to someplace like Pittsburgh, PA, on the morning of Dec. 24, and the flight out was cancelled that night due to Christmas, so one didn't get home until the morning of the 26 or 27. Same with flying passengers. You would fly out on Dec. 24, and flight out on 25 is not scheduled, so you don't get home until 26 or 27. The neat things was, those with small kids wouldn't bid those lines of time, so as to be home for the holidays, and they were really nice schedules, so those of us more junior on the seniority list would get them. I'd do it all over again.
One of my best friends and her family have Christmas in July. Easier to get the entire family in town and together. That is when they do gift exchanges, etc.
Yes, Christmas is for kids, and if you have young children or grandchildren, it will be more magical, but it doesn't have to be on a certain day. Christmas has become MUCH too commercial. It lost its meaning many years ago due to stores putting up the decorations so early, some even before Halloween. And if I enter a store before Thanksgiving, and they are playing Christmas carols, I turn around and walk out.
I send "care packages" to friends this time of year, but I also send packages to those same friends the other seasons too.
So, if the spirit is around only because it is a certain day or two, then yes, I will say, Bah Humbug!
I find the stories of not being able to hold your new baby until it is 7 months old, or not knowing where an estranged spouse took your kids, much more disturbing than not having "Christmas".
On that same note, I think Bob Hope and his USO tours showed the sort of class act that group has always been. May God bless them all!
