| Friday, October 31, 2008 |
| Day of the dread |
I was going to write something about how much I hate Halloween, prompted by the insane, Christmas-level decorations people seem to be putting up these days (back in my day, did anyone ever do anything other than set out a pumpkin on the porch with a candle inside of it?), not to mention the phenomenon of slutwear and other ridiculous costumes for adults -- the cash register at Trader Joe's today was dressed like Pocahontas. But then I came to the rather sad realization that I really don't like very many holidays. Let's check the rundown, from worst to most tolerable:
Halloween: Don't get me wrong, it's perfectly fine for the kids, but adults have been co-opting it for the past couple of decades. Mom and dad, your place is standing on the sidewalk as your tots go trick or treating at your neighbors' houses, not dressing up as Sarah and Todd Palin to go out and get wasted on pumpkin margaritas.
Thanksgiving: I don't eat turkey (or tofurkey) and while I would love nothing more than to spend the day with my family, I refuse to fly on the most crowded and expensive weekend of the year. Since my parents and I now have webcams, maybe we can at least meet virtually. Bonus negative factor: my birthday often falls on Thanksgiving, and most restaurants are either closed on that day or serving ham & turkey.
Christmas: As someone who hates to shop, Christmas is, not surprisingly, not a favorite. However, I must admit that the Xmas-to-Jan. 1 period is often the only time all year that I can truly take time off, since all of my clients are doing the holiday thing. At least once I've finished shopping, I can relax, and that's not bad.
New Year's Eve/St. Patrick's Day: If (like me) you're not a partier, at least they provide a good excuse to stay in, watch a DVD and relax.
Valentine's Day: I can't say no to love, but Joe and I have permanently sworn off Valentine's Day since (a) it's too close to Christmas and our birthdays to warrant more gift giving and (b) going out to eat on V-Day makes about as much sense as flying on Thanksgiving weekend.
Mother's and Father's Day: I very rarely get to spend them with my parents, which is a bummer, but it's never a bad thing to take a moment and let them know they're appreciated, which I try to do each year.
Labor Day: A day off is nice, but it's a little bittersweet since it represents the end of the summer (even though we usually get at least a few more weeks of warm weather here in the Bay Area).
Memorial Day: Better than Labor Day since it comes at the beginning of the summer; good excuse to go see a movie.
Fourth of July: The best holiday -- a day off, plus it's in the middle of the summer, which is the best season, with lots of summer still to come. I have celebrated many a Fourth at cookouts with unabashed Berkeley liberals and can attest to the fact that even though it may not be what some consider the Real America, there are lots of America-lovin', BBQ-chicken-and-cole-slaw eatin' patriots here in the bluest of states.
Inconsequential holidays: any day you don't get off work but the postal service does (MLK Jr. Day, Columbus Day, etc.); religious holidays I don't celebrate (Easter, Jewish holidays -- although at least if it's a Jewish holiday someone usually brings tasty coconut macaroons to my book group). |
posted by 125records @ 5:24 PM  |
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| 2 Comments: |
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Aw, you'd enjoy Halloween if you had kids. I dutifully stood on the sidewalk with my friend Ruth while our daughters tricked-or-treated, and as a bonus we kept loudly reminding them to say "thank you". We got to chat with lots of neighbors and to notice little nice things about folks' landscaping and porch decor that I usually walk past too fast to see. We enjoyed seeing a gazillion cute children in mostly-cute costumes. The Very Best Costumes: a family of my acquaintance with the three-year-old daughter dressed as Mary Poppins, and Dad as Bert and Mom as the bird woman. They were breathtaking. Halloween can be pretty cool.
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We were with friends in San Diego tonight. The Moms and some Dads went with the kids to trick or treat. Marty and I and other adults stayed at the house and hung out. The Dads came back and told us about the hot Moms dressed as nurses at several houses. Even the 9 year old knew how many nurses he saw, and then he would giggle. Csn you say tacky?
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Aw, you'd enjoy Halloween if you had kids. I dutifully stood on the sidewalk with my friend Ruth while our daughters tricked-or-treated, and as a bonus we kept loudly reminding them to say "thank you". We got to chat with lots of neighbors and to notice little nice things about folks' landscaping and porch decor that I usually walk past too fast to see. We enjoyed seeing a gazillion cute children in mostly-cute costumes. The Very Best Costumes: a family of my acquaintance with the three-year-old daughter dressed as Mary Poppins, and Dad as Bert and Mom as the bird woman. They were breathtaking. Halloween can be pretty cool.