However, I do like the Christmas season. I think this is mostly because I have the ability to enjoy other peoples' joy and generosity, but I can always opt out of things without hurting anybody else's feelings. I adore Christmas trees and decorations, but it's very nice that I can come home and not have to see them. My little Chanukiah makes me pretty happy for holiday decorating by itself, and we'll hang little twinkly lights for parties and such...I don't really identify those with Christmas trees per se. I like Christmas foods and drinks, and I like that there's always lots of people entertaining and lots of chances for me to entertain at that time of year. This year, we're planning an open house, a fundraiser, and then a party all in one day, and I'm looking forward to the prospect of providing lots of eggnog, hot mulled cider, latkes, and Christmas cookies for all the people coming in and out of my home. I'm not all that fond of Christmas music and movies and other Christmas-specific media, but I'm willing to deal with them since others like them.
When I was a kid, I thought of Christmas as a big party that didn't include me, but now I see the delight of enjoying the good aspects while keeping a Christmas-safe zone in my own home. I do gifts for people, but just as much 'cause I enjoy selecting, making, assembling, and wrapping things as 'cause it's the time of year people tend to do these things. My only real complaint about Christmas is Christmas Day. The only places open are Asian restaurants and movie theatres, and it makes for a fairly boring day. But even that's not so bad.
One of the most enjoyable Christmases I remember was when I was in high school and I worked at the town's newspaper as an editorial assistant. There's practically no news on Christmas day, and everybody brought in tons of food from home and we all sat around goofing off and snarfing all day long. I was real into the journalism thing at the time, and I totally glommed on being around Real Writers and Editors all day long...people who sacraficed being with their families on Christmas Day for their jobs. Wow, how romantic to a high school kid, eh? Anyways, one woman brought in homemade irish cream and we all got a little silly off of them together and had a good time. You always get a ton of kudos for working on Christmas Day even if you're a Jew like me. People are amazed and impressed that you came in to work, and nobody expects you to get anything done...it's like a day off when you just have fun in the office. Whee.