The Christmas Mood I'm Not In

Last evening we went to yet another Christmas party. I say 'another', because the annual string of parties and gatherings has begun in this the busiest month of the year. Yet somehow I was not in the Christmas mood. I didn't pull out my brightest red and green shirt, my Santa Claus suspenders and my black socks with 'Oh Ho Ho' written all over them. Instead I put on a dull brown checked shirt with dark brown pants and went off to the party wondering what the Christmas mood is and why I'm not really in it.

I suppose I should be dreaming of a white Christmas with every Christmas card I write and hope that soon I will be walking in a winter wonderland with sleigh bells ringing. Why, in the neighbor's yard are images of a jolly fat man in red with a fur-lined collar landing on the roof with a bunch of reindeer, led by one named Ruldolph who is apparently suffering from a severe cold and has a shining sore red nose. And their children are apparently falling asleep with various kinds of candy dancing in their heads. Moreover, in this place where it hardly ever snows we are humming, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow." But why?



The Christmas mood started earlier this year than ever before as the retailers hoped we would start parting with our hard-earned money well before Thanksgiving. They're worried, I hear, because of the stress on the housing market and talk of a recession. So they want us to rush on into the Christmas mood and buy hundreds of useless items for our families and friends. After all, this is THE time of the year when they make most of their money.

And yet I just couldn't put on those Santa Claus suspenders and get into the Christmas mood. I wonder why.

Maybe it's because I haven't programmed my mobile phone with cute, waving snowmen, festive music and Santa clauses crossing my way, heavily loaded with gifts while I play Sudoku. I can't even spell that word properly and I'm not even remotely attracted to the idea of challenging my limited intelligence by it. Maybe that's the reason.

Or maybe it's because I haven't gotten high on the latest drug of choice. That'll do it every time, I'm told. Then I could start singing "Here comes Santa, here comes Santa, right down Santa Claus lane." Oh, by the way, are you acquainted with Santa's brother Fred? Their father, the original SANTA, used to reside in Northern Europe, where he met his wife, SUSIE SANTA. Together, they produced nine sons over a period of 15 years, who all went into their father’s line of work!

I don't know. Maybe I'll have to give up on getting into the Christmas mood this year. Maybe I'll simply have to do my best to wait patiently for the CHRIST of Christmas to come soon and get us all out of the crazy nonsense that Christmas has become.