There is a beautiful saying that Christmas is not the time of year but a feeling. But can it be more than that? Can it be a lifestyle? I bet my husband would agree that Christmas is a lifestyle, if not an obsession. Not only do I start preparing early, but I collect mementos and gift inspirations throughout the year. Christmas is always on my mind. It’s mid-November today, and I have been busy with Christmas for over a month. My husband might not be happy, but the Christmas tree is only 2 weeks away. Okay, okay. 3 weeks.
Am I crazy or just passionate?
You might not ask, but I will still tell you why this holiday is my favorite. Hopefully, you will think that I am less crazy than you thought after reading that I started preparations in October (and that’s late for me, btw; usually, I start in September).
I grew up in a household where family was everything – one would argue it’s not entirely healthy, but that’s a discussion for another time. Christmas was one of the few celebrations where everyone pitched it. It was not a celebration for one person or by one person but a true family affair. Yes, some people, aka mom, did more than others. But everyone did their part and tried to go the extra mile. It feels like the whole world tries to go the extra mile for a few weeks.
I started associating Christmas with care, love, and thought. That’s the one celebration where letters are not considered odd, where people don’t feel as guilty about receiving presents and definitely less awkward about giving them. In the classroom, at home, and in the stores, everyone became a giver without asking anything in return. So, for me, it’s a celebration of kindness. And what can be better than that?
MAGIC. That’s what. As a kid with endless imagination and love for tales, I did believe in Santa for what was considered definitely longer than normal. Because I wanted to and because my parents made it unforgettable. They put an effort into faking Santa’s presence and not in silly ways like hiring Santa but focusing on details and the right timing. Asking neighbors to ring the doorbell while putting presents under the tree in 5 minutes. Leaving the house, being stuck behind a car that obviously was taking Santa (close to our house, may I add), and coming back to the house filled with gifts. With these small acts of magic, the holiday became magic for me over time. And every time my mom went the extra mile, it only proved the magic to me. By then, it was a less mythical but equally important act of kindness. Her love for cooking and making sure the table is extra special; her passion for flare and Christmas tree that is slightly different every year; her devotion to magic and surprises, including little Christmas games and (additional!) small presents – all of it was magic.
Growing up with that, it became a significant part of my life. The love that was instilled by my parents is the love that I want to pay forward. The magic that was created is the magic that I want to share. That means picking the best possible presents even when it’s a mission impossible; sending cards knowing there is a good chance they will go unanswered; and collecting Christmas tokens from around the world.
Preparing for Christmas
I love Christmas because it can be anything for anyone. It can be all about material things – fancy dresses, expensive dinners, mountains of presents. Or it can be small family affairs with handmade creations. And anything in between. In my case, it’s tons of Christmas cards, a Christmas tree filled with the most important things for us – travel memories, and presents collected slowly, patiently, and sometimes, unfortunately, desperately.
When I and my hubby went on our first trip, we started collecting Christmas. We gather plenty of things from travels; tokens for Christmas are one of those things. Whenever we travel, we often stumble upon something that can work well as a Christmas ornament. So, now our Tree is not merely a tree like everyone else’s. No, it is our story, a standing reminder of the love and adventures we went on and continue to go through. Just like our adventures, some of the finds are better than others. Some are embodiments of a cliche and kitsch, but some… are special. Like a (in my mind) reindeer’s bell and a memory of me sounding like one while strolling through the streets of Edinburgh. Or a Lithuanian unicorn that not only reminds us of home but also represents the magic that we have. And with time, there are more and more stories and memories that allow us to take stock of what we experienced so far and, in a way, promise new adventures in the future. The only problem… there will be a time when we will need a larger tree. But is that such a bad thing?
But. What is the tree without presents? I wish finding gifts would be as easy as finding ornaments. But people are mysterious which means finding a perfect gift for them can be quite a feat. That’s probably one of the main reasons why we create Christmas lists in advance – to give us time to think, search, and, hopefully, discover. There are people and years when everything goes smoothly, then there are ones when search is a struggle. This year is the one filled with unknowns. It’s mid-November, and I already have procured a few gifts. Yet the list is longer than I wished. I suspect some will land well, and others will be a bit of a miss. But I know that I (we!) tried. In the meantime, my quest for the perfect gifts continues, and maybe it’s a reminder to start yours.
I have a slightly better relationship with Christmas cards. It is a (mostly) joyful endeavor. Every year, I am excited to think about what we will do this year about the cards; every year they are slightly different. I can only blame my mom and my great-grandma for that. One loved snail-mail, the other loved (and still does) Christmas, and I ended up somewhere in the middle. I try to choose (or create) Christmas cards that are slightly special. This time around I am drawing and, with the help of technology, printing them. For me, they are opportunities to say we love you and we care. They are blips in the year when we get a chance to remind people that we are here for them and that we will be with and for them. They are my little love notes to my loved ones.
It is probably one of the most important Christmas traditions with the whole ritual for it – candles, special pens and stamps, music, and love footprints on the paper. I can only write a few of them at a time and it takes me weeks to go through the list. But the moment I go to the postbox, drop all of them off… that’s the moment when the little kid in me is the happiest.
And this is where I leave you – with joy, a few skips that happen around Christmas. Christmas is what you choose to make it to be. Because I am an oddball, Christmas is a choice to live with magic, love, and kindness. It’s an excuse to go all out and be a tiny bit silly. It’s a reason to celebrate and remember that little kid inside me. With that, I leave you and I am off to make yet another cup of hot chocolate and continue with my Christmas cards. Till the next time.
Life in Analog 