Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Why xmas is a downer

The problem with xmas is it creates deadlines.  Even if you don't celebrate it.  There are two statutory holidays and then a third for new year's, so you have to get your errands done and stock up on what you need before the stores close.  Some people you deal with (clients, friends, businesses you deal with) take time off or go away around this time of year, so you have to schedule your interactions with them around this.  If you want to get a gift for someone, you have to do so by xmas, or before you see them, or in time to ship it to them. If you're invited to a social event and decide to attend, you have to decide what to wear and have it clean for that day and get done up properly and get to the place in time.

Even if you don't celebrate, some of these deadlines may apply to you.  My apartment building had a party and my office had a party.  A friend who celebrates xmas may invite you to their party and you may wish to attend.  Your office might have a Secret Santa, or you may wish to buy a present for a small adorable child of your acquaintance whose family does celebrate xmas.

There are also various areas of life that have administrative deadlines at the end of the calendar year.  You might need to make a TFSA contribution or apply for CPP. 

For me, personally, because my birthday is also this week, I sometimes have administrative deadlines related to my birthday, such as getting my health card renewed.  My birthday also creates deadlines of its own - I spend a quiet, at-home day with indulgent food and drink, which means I need to buy the food and drink and arrange other areas of life so I don't have to go out that day.  (Not to mention that the quiet stay-at-home birthday isn't by choice, it's because everyone's too busy with their peri-xmas stuff that they don't have time to give my birthday more than a cursory acknowledgement.)

And all these additional deadlines come at the darkest time of year.  The sun rises so late and sets so early, and it gets truly cold for the first time since the previous winter, which makes me desperately want to curl up and hibernate.

I think this is genetic.  My ancestors for many many generations were peasants in cold parts of Europe. I'm made entirely out of genes that have always survived the winter by battening down the hatches, huddling around the fire, and eating potatoes. It is against the dictates of every fibre of my being (literally) to be rushing about getting things done in the cold wind and after the early sunset.

These aren't huge stresses, to be sure, but they are additional Tetris blocks.  So when the xmas decorations go up on November 1, it's just a constant reminder that these stressers, many of which I'd rather not do, are imminent.

And all this for something that isn't even meaningful to me!

4 comments:

laura k said...

I agree! Even though I've learned to make it work for me, it took a long time, and I relate to the deadline pressure.

Not really #LeastImportantThing, but I am wondering about your ascribing your present-day reactions and emotions to genetics, and your belief that those genetics were formed by cultural - and therefore environmental - norms. I know many people believe this, but it seems always to be applied so selectively.

If that's where our feelings originate from, wouldn't it apply to all people from the same background? And wouldn't it apply to more areas of our lives?

impudent strumpet said...

I'm not, like, married to the idea, it's just something that came from the shower.

But it does occur to me that other people might also be made sluggish by the darkness, but feel all the xmas stuff is fun or religiously important or otherwise more worthwhile than I do. Not to mention that it might energize extroverts.

laura k said...

Oh well. I was hoping you might have strong thoughts and feelings on the matter and I could hear them. Many people blame/credit their ethnic background for certain personality traits, eg, a colleague who ascribes his pessimism to being of Polish descent. It just never feels right to me.

Those people who like this holiday stuff are lucky.

impudent strumpet said...

I don't even share personality traits with my direct blood relatives. Once I was sitting around at a family thing and one of my cousins stated like it's glaringly obvious "Yeah, we're all pretty ambitious people," and I'm like "I'm not..." But I looked around at all my cousins and realized they are in fact ambitious.