I love Christmas time! It’s glimmering and shimmering and sparkly and lovey-dovey and cute. It’s lush and it’s fun. Also, scary. Cause it’s all right to carry on regardless when it’s not Christmas. Think about it! Easter is all about suffering. Leading a miserable life doesn’t get threatened by Easter. Yes, summer is supposed to be fun….BUT so many people aren’t doing anything about it (neither in the U.S. and surprisingly enough Greeks living in Greece are starting to cut back on summer holidays) that it is not that big a threat either. Christmas though, approaches in all its red, white and green glamor and glory and just pisses people off!
In North America they tend to kill themselves over Christmas time. In Greece they become malakes on edge. They snap at you, make assumptions and elaborate on them and then end up congratulating themselves on how intuitive their decadent pessimism is. Americans aren’t afraid to lust after what they don’t -for whatever reason – have: a family, or a happy relationship, or any relationship, or just friends. In Greece people pretend those ho have those things are losers to be attacked and interrogated until their point is proved right. Greeks can’t bear admit they are lacking something. Living in the moment means now matters more than an elusive process of change. Living in the moment means giving in to the moment. Believing that once you shape the moment to feel good it will share the goodness with you. Great idea while going through a break up. Heavy folk music (bouzoukia), also great.Christmas blues though, should take a bit more analysis.
Yeah, it’s not all jolly. Both Americans and Greeks feel the pressure. Excessive, pointless shopping. Who needs that? Excessive socializing with aunt Sue and uncle who? Finding time to decorate? Cook?
Unfortunately both in the U.S. and Greece compulsion and excess terrorize the pure joy that should be coming out of small things rather than huge operations that live no room for fresh air. (Yet, even while writing this, I am dreading reaching the moment of gift giving without gifts for people.) Seriously though, it doesn’t have to be that way. Perhaps keeping the right people, making the right conversation and baking the right cookies isn’t as tough as it seems. Pleasure could take over pretense, couldn’t it?
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