Chappy Chaulidays
It is time to weigh in on the subject of December Holidays. Without making it too personal, I must disclose that Half & Half is not a big fan of the Christmas Season because its owner, Robin, is not fan of the Christmas Season. Sure, we like selling lots of extra T-shirts and Beer Cozies around this time, and we welcome all the crazy shoppers out there to come in for nourishment and relief from other crazy shoppers. We like seeing the kids that come home for the holiday break, and we look forward to a Half & Half bowling and karaoke party.
What we hate is decorating.
We hate blowing fuses out of a new string of lights. We hate trying to hang lights during business hours as much as we hate coming in during our free time to decorate. We hate how there is already a good deal of red and green happening at Half & Half on a daily basis, and Christmas red and green clashes with our existing red and green. We hate fake snow and garland and tinsel, but most of all we hate looking like schmucks if we don't decorate. Because our retail neighbors actually make an effort to convey The Holiday Spirit through their lights and window displays, I am embarrassed to see our sad, dark windows when the sun has set.
Incidentally, Half & Half's religious affiliation is Lapsed Jewish. In the great tradition of Lapsed Jews, we can capitalize on our Jewish heritage through food, comedy and guilt, but we can't suddenly become actively Jewish just for Chanukah, because in respect to other Jews, Chanukah isn't much of a religious holiday. So we don't feel quite right about stringing Star-of-David lights in the windows and doing everything in blue and silver, just as we feel a little bit betrayed by robotically referring to everything in December in terms of Christmas.
What we do is what comes most naturally to us; complain. Happy Holidays!
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Robin,
As a Jewish atheist, may I say that I surely know what you're talking about. I never feel more Jewish than I do in December, though I rarely think about it at all the rest of the year. If I celebrate anything at all, it is probably solstice - who can't get behind a returning of the light?
My response to anyone who wishes me a "Merry Christmas!" is "Happy Chanukah!" ;o) I just wish folks would get with the program and remember that not everyone is Christian. "Happy Holidays!" is the only appropriate greeting this time of year, unless you actually know that the person is Christian.
Little white lights and some nice smelling evergreen twigs are a nice compromise in terms of having to decorate at all...just forgo the red velvet bows...oy.
i totally agree! hanging the lights was fun though... it's hot in high places!
I always want to say "happy hanukah" to those who wish me a merry Christmas, but as an athiest Christmas lover who couldn't look more like a shiska even if i got blond hair extensions, I would feel like a hypocrite.
I totally want in on that karaoke party,Robin!