My mother took down the Christmas tree every year on December 26th, early in the morning and spent the rest of the day eradicating any sign of the holidays. I've kind of inherited this way of being, but this year, I've been reluctant to let the holidays go. I formed a half-baked theory about this phenomenon which goes something like this -- when I've had a rough year, I get rid of the holiday stuff as soon as possible, start with the calendars and planning and make the Carver line (This time, next year, things will be better) my mantra. When I've had a pretty good year, I'm not as eager to be done with it. So by those signifiers, 2011 was a pretty good year.
I've always kind of hated New Year's Eve, but I didn't this year, another good sign. At the strike of midnight, I took to heart the feng-shui tip of saying something you want to usher in the new year, you know, the generic blessings of good health, money, love, and for us writers, publications! I felt strangely hopeful for someone who published two books about death, rape, incest, and other less cheerful subjects last year. I remembered my first New Year's Eve in Detroit, when I heard the guns going off all around me at the strike of midnight. I didn't know that happened, so it was quite a shock as I spent the night alphabetizing my books in the midst of periodic gunfire. I knew something was happening, but I didn't know what, just like now, but I'm a lot more comfortable with that emotion.
Cocktail Hour
Movie suggestion: The Descendants
Benedictions and Maledictions
Happy Thursday!
6 comments:
Didn't hear a lot of gunfire at New Year's Eve this year in Detroit. They're saving it up for the emergency financial manager!--Motor City Madman
Organizing my books always calms me down.
Is it January yet? I hope not I am finally looking forward to Christmas!
Detroit, New years gunfire? What are you talking about? Lordy child you know that no one would do that 'round here.
Even though I celebrated neither Christmas nor New Years, in the back of my mind the holidays continue until Three Kings Day on January 6th. It's supposed to be quite the celebration in Latin America. Let's see when the city takes down it's decorations. I'm sure it will be Christmas all year long for the "1%".
I like your view points about the holidays and agree whole heartedly. For the first time in my life I couldn't wait for the holidays to be over. Yet I was still reluctant to put aways my collection of holiday music. That for me is the most depressing. I'll never tire of Karen Carpenter’s Christmas ear candy.
Heard the guns again myself this New Years as I always celebrate at a friends house not too far away in Grosse Point Shores. Whats weird is how comfortable we all get with that familiar sound. After a while it just becomes common, like a train whistle.
Happy New Year and good luck in 2012.
In a lot of cultures, (my family was from Spain) the tradition is to leave the decorations up for the traditional "12 days of Christmas" which culminates on Jan 6 which is known as "3 kings Day." Which celebrated the supposed arrival of the 3 wise men to Bethlehem, to present Jesus with their gifts. We as kids always got an extra Christmas gift on that day. After that was when the decorations came down.
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