Interesting cultural phenomena going on. I have a hard time taking it seriously, because after all, these are holidays we are talking about. People get weird over holidays.
I wonder if there's displaced negative emotions caused by being stressed out over the holidays that are finding their way into fighting over things like Christmas cards and greetings.
Yesterday I heard two interesting things on the radio -- first, a factoid that Christmas is the most dangerous day of the year for people in America. The death rate is 13% higher on Christmas than the average day. No explanation available.
Second, a local radio station had a contest to win a "wife" for a day, just to help with chores around the house. The winner, a woman, was ecstatic because her grandmother died last week, she was out of town for the funeral, and hadn't gotten her Christmas decorations done!
What Christmas decorations? Chris did spend a couple of days putting up lights in the yard, and I decorated the wreath, and everybody does the Christmas tree, and what's left? Lights are optional, not everybody does those. The tree is not exactly optional, but the woman has a husband, and I think putting up the tree is something men usually do, no?
I guess she's got all sorts of lovely chatchkas and what-nots that come out just for Christmas and then get put away again for a year. But if it's not fun, if you don't love doing it, why do it?
Who is she doing it for? I hope she's not one of those women who actually believes that one human being can accomplish what it takes Martha Stewart and an entire team of highly paid, highly trained experts to accomplish using lots of time and lots of money and make look easy. |
