"Omigod," the 19-year-old Grinch daughter protested, as she does for any parental behaviour she deems embarrassing. "Christmas threw up in here again!"
Last Sunday afternoon, with Christmas carols playing and a dandy of a football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Buffalo Bills on mute on TV, I stood in my living room in pyjamas hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, indeed.
Christmas had blown through my house the weekend before and hanging the decorations was simply the last thing left to do.
At my place, the first weekend of November means putting away Halloween and hauling in the boxes and plastic storage tubs of Christmas stuff, including the tree, from the garage. It also means hours outside getting some fresh air while risking life and limb on a slippery aluminum ladder to hang Christmas lights.
So I was thrilled when I posted a Citizen online poll this week (it's not to late to vote) asking “Is your Christmas tree up yet?” and 10 per cent said yes!
And I’m dismayed that more than 60 per cent answered either not until Dec. 1 (40 per cent) while another 20 per cent or so said not until the week before Christmas.
What in the name of the North Pole are you people waiting for?
The days are short and getting shorter.
The nights are endless, dark and cold.
We’re more than a month away from the winter solstice and the shortest day of the year, before we slowly start getting more daylight.
Now is the time to light up our homes, inside and out, with some warm festive cheer.
For Christians, it's no sin to celebrate the birth of Jesus before the start of Advent on Nov. 27. For non-religious people (or those of other faiths), you’re not bound to doctrine here, so Christmas starts when you say it does!
Furthermore, Christmas Time Is Here, the Vince Guaraldi Trio jazz classic from A Charlie Brown Christmas is not only one of the great songs of the 20th century, it’s also a poignant reminder.
The spirit of generosity, good will and optimism never gets old and is something that serves us well every day of the year, as the wise of all faiths and times have told us throughout history.
“Oh, that we could always see, such spirit through the year.”
