Yuletide

18 Qawl 163 B.E. - December 9, 2006 at 5:00:24 PM PST

Well it’s that time of year again. Christmas music, people saying “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Holidays”, “Happy New Year”, etc. Merchants have decorated their display windows with candy canes, snowmen, presents, etc. The bakeries make snowmen cookies, Santa Clause cookies, Christmas tree cookies, etc. People are decorating their yards and trees with blinking and flashing electric lights. They are decorating their yards with giant inflatable Santa Clauses’, snowmen, teddy bears, etc. It’s cold and snowing somewhere in America.

The T.V. news anchors are warning people to be aware of their surroundings, even when they leave grocery stores. Apparently, robbers are knocking people down outside of grocery stores and taking what is in their shopping carts. In parking lots, you need to lock your car and put your gifts in the trunk, because if you leave the present where they can be see, someone will break into you car and take the gifts, not to mention the car. If you’re not careful someone will even steal the yard decorations right out of your front yard.

T.V. commercials are suggesting that for Christmas you buy the one you love Royals Royce’s, Merced’s Benzes, diamond watches, diamond earrings, diamond nickels, etc. What happened to homemade gifts look cookies and food. OK, this entry is getting depressive, my only excuse is that I was born on December 24 and I have Christmas issues, or at least I used to have. Anymore I find Christmas and the other holidays that occur in December quite interesting.

I enjoy seeing the way people celebrate the different December holidays. It’s refreshing to go into stores and have someone wish you something else besides a “Nice day”. I don’t care whether someone wishes me a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday, either greeting is fine. It’s good to see people talk to a stranger rather than glare. Oh, there is the occasional “Bah Humbug” but that’s rare, especially when you go into a store to buy something. The clerks probably think you’re there to buy Christmas presents or something similar.

I don’t go into stores to buy presents, I usually go in to buy groceries or something else. If I were going to buy a present, it would be a birthday present. The most I do this time of year is sent relatives and friends’ cards commemorating whatever December holiday they celebrate, if they celebrate a December holiday.