Christmas, as we know it, has a couple of origins. Firstly, celebrating the birth of Christ, which does not apply to me because I'm an atheist. Secondly, the fact that farming communities traditionally slaughter spare animals and feast upon them in the middle of winter, rather than feed them and care for them over that time. Again, not something I wish to celebrate. Thirdly, of course, there is the media. Shops telling you what you need to buy to have the perfect Christmas, TV chefs telling you how to cook the perfect Christmas roast, etc.
There's nothing special about December 25th, really. There's nothing magical or mystical about it.
So, I've decided to use it as a reminder. A reminder to show goodwill to all people, that's a good one. A reminder to spend time with the people I love. An occasion on which to exchange tokens of affection. A time to feel especially good about the world, and corny, and sentimental, and nostalgic.
Of course, all of those things can be done year round, and, to some extent, should be. But it's useful to use this one day, a day the rest of the world helpfully reminds me about every year, to remember to pay attention to these things particularly. It's the things you can do any time that tend to get left for last, after all.
This year, I won't have a traditional Christmas. I won't be having a vegan roast on Christmas Day, or opening my presents. I won't be with my family. I won't even be at home.
Tomorrow, I leave for London, in order to start my first of five shifts in a Crisis Centre. That's where I'll be on Christmas Day. After that, I'll spend two weeks visiting my best friends, and I'll be singing this the whole time.
Merry Christmas!
There's nothing special about December 25th, really. There's nothing magical or mystical about it.
So, I've decided to use it as a reminder. A reminder to show goodwill to all people, that's a good one. A reminder to spend time with the people I love. An occasion on which to exchange tokens of affection. A time to feel especially good about the world, and corny, and sentimental, and nostalgic.
Of course, all of those things can be done year round, and, to some extent, should be. But it's useful to use this one day, a day the rest of the world helpfully reminds me about every year, to remember to pay attention to these things particularly. It's the things you can do any time that tend to get left for last, after all.
This year, I won't have a traditional Christmas. I won't be having a vegan roast on Christmas Day, or opening my presents. I won't be with my family. I won't even be at home.
Tomorrow, I leave for London, in order to start my first of five shifts in a Crisis Centre. That's where I'll be on Christmas Day. After that, I'll spend two weeks visiting my best friends, and I'll be singing this the whole time.
Merry Christmas!
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