All of us that celebrate Christmas do so for various reason. For some it's a central part of their religious faith, expressed in music and worship. For others, it's a season to come to come together and celebrate with family and friends. For others, it's a time to buy or make gifts for loved ones, and to also be on the receiving end of gifts. For some, it's a gathering for a Christmas meal and the giving out of gifts. For others, it's about taking care of the people around them who are in need and don't have much in food, clothing and other basic needs.
Either way, we all have our own unique way of celebrating Christmas. And those things become traditions down through the years. We look forward to Christmas primarily because it has good memories. It represents stability in a world that seems to be spinning out of control.
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After a nice rundown of the good and nice things about Christmas, you're probably wondering why I am I saying that "this is my last Christmas". A little background please. I was raised in a middle class, faithful Catholic home, with 6 siblings. So Christmas was a big deal for us - full of excitement and music and smells of things baking. I grew up appreciating certain elements of Christmas (the tree, music, decorations, lights, thoughtful restrained gift giving).
But then life started changing. Grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles passing away, family members marrying and divorcing, family members scattered far and wide due to jobs, sickness - all of these took a toll on our lives, and the family gathering for Christmas slowly declined and finally ended 8 years ago.
I moved on to good friends, and have for the last 8 years celebrated Christmas with several of them. As with any group of friends, there are changes in jobs, moves to other places, marriages, divorces, some who now have to work on Christmas, and new children to care for.
So this Christmas was the first Christmas in my life that I had no where to go and celebrate Christmas. Christmas dinner was a microwave pizza, popcorn, and a chocolate doughnut, and a SpongeBob marathon on TV.
It's slowly come to me that celebrating Christmas is most likely over with for me. Life changes, people's lives change, and nothing is forever. A few years ago I stopped buying presents, and started giving money to needy organization instead. The only thing left that I do that's Christmas related is that I send Christmas cards. This year is my final year for sending cards. People don't seem to appreciate getting them any more. It's a dying social convention.
In light of everything I've decided that Christmas of 2013 is my last Christmas. Part of me is sad, but another part of me is relieved to be done with all the pressures of the holiday. I will always have the memories of the times long gone - from childhood, to college and early adulthood, to large family gatherings, to spending Christmas in New York City.
I wonder if there are others out there who have given up on celebrating Christmas, and what brought them to that choice, and how they feel about it.