So its Christmas time again and while lots of people, mainly children and young people, can’t wait for the celebration to really start, another lot, adults mainly, are dreading the season as their brains are already calculating the dollars that would be spent during the season.
Now the latter is a serious issue, and we know we have touched on it before, but we think the issue warrants us mentioning it again. And unfortunately, not many take our advice – or maybe they do, but when it is a bit too late. They rue the day after the Christmas season when they would then calculate how much they would have spent during the holidays, or when they think about the amount of debt they would have to repay.
So why, we ask, do people spend so much every year for Christmas? Is it so that they could keep up, as we say, ‘with the Joneses’? By that we mean that persons feel they just have to get the same things their neighbours have for the season, if not their Christmas might not be complete. So they must buy those new curtains, all the different adornments for the home, maybe a new gas stove or television set, cover over those chairs and purchase all the other things they think are ABSOLUTELY necessary, when really and truly they are not. All you need for Christmas is lots to eat – yea, we agree with that part because our appetites just seem to get bigger around that time – and your family to celebrate. Okay, we agree that the fairy lights and Christmas trees do add a little something special to the holiday period. But as for the other things we mentioned above, really you could do without them; use the same curtains you took down just after the holidays earlier this year which are just sitting at the bottom of the drawer.
But it is not only spending money that takes away so much from many persons enjoying the holidays, but also a major contributing factor is the last ‘minuters.’ (We know there is no word like that, but it is the best we can find to describe those who wait till the very last minute to do everything.) Christmas Eve night when they are supposed to be ushering in Christmas with maybe a glass of wine or whatever they drink with their families, enjoying their nicely decorated home, many families and most females, are working their fingers to the bone trying to get everything done before daylight. Everything is left for the last minute, and really the womenfolk in their homes don’t enjoy the season as much as they should because they are all working frantically to get all the little knick-knacks done, and hardly find the time to relax. When they do get the time to relax it is when the season is over and all the Christmas decorations have to come down.
We would humbly suggest that you finish all you need to do at least by mid-December. We know some people have finished everything by November month although others may find that a bit too early, arguing that their homes may look a bit ‘stale’ by Christmas Day. So we give you until mid-December to finish everything, so that you would get the opportunity to really enjoy your nicely decorated home. You would get all the time to do things at a leisurely pace, instead of rushing through like a speeding train, causing some women almost to suffer a nervous breakdown because they overworked their bodies. You know we love the season; we must admit it is the best time of the year because everyone always seems to be in a giving mood and they are all so cheerful, so we can’t wait for November to come when the Christmas songs start playing. And then by early December there are all these parties and functions we are invited to, and as we said before, we love all the stuff to eat.
So this year, you ladies give yourself some time to really enjoy the Christmas; do everything early so that you can really celebrate the season with your family. If not, when you wait for the last minute while your family – mostly the males – will enjoy all your hard work you will just be too tired to really appreciate everything you have done. And we must add when you wait for the last minute to do your thing, which we know includes spending money, you spend more because as Christmas gets closer prices go up. Would it not be nice to spend less and get time to enjoy your hard work? You know the answer to that so take our little advice this year and come next January we can guarantee you that you will be smiling. (thescene@stabroeknews.com)
