Christmas Eve-ery
I think Christianity is basically sadistic, and maybe nowhere is that more evident than in what it has done to childhood. what is the basic law of childhood? "Sit still!" right. at the time of their lives when they have more energy than good sense, when their bodies cry out to run, jump, twirl, somersault, cartwheel, twist, squirm, jiggle, play, and fidget, we demand that they sit still. oh yes, there are pious and educational and other edifying reasons why we must ruin childhood, but our real return is making childhood miserable. left to themselves, children would run around, explore, and laugh, so what do we demand of them? sit still! and then along comes a holiday, and for a few hours, we repeal the sit-still law. and Christmas Eve is an odd mix of those. giggles are allowed, even aloud giggles are allowed. laughs are permitted. sometimes even encouraged. we sit around as families, but we can both fidget and talk! in some families each person opens one Christmas gift. (After all, Santa is still to come.) in some families each person tells one yippee-yi-yea memory from the year. in some families, the Designated Reader reads the Christmas story - preferably a Biblical version, so it makes no sense. in some families the Designated Teller tells the Christmas story in all its wonder and delight. at the end, in some families, people cheer and holler and blow party horns and otherwise celebrate. I don't know all that's done on Christmas Eve, and I know that it's a very class-dependent celebration, but I have the impression that except in the most sadistic families, Christmas Eve is a happy and even a joyous time. thank you, Scandinavian pagans, for such a wonderful contribution! wassail!
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