Holidays change meaning as you grow older
Today is Easter. It falls on the Sunday of Passover this year. I
attended a seder on Tuesday night with Alex's family and enjoyed that a lot. We didn't get invited to any Easter lunches or dinners and I didn't think enough about it to make plans otherwise. I thought
about going to church this morning but I don't believe that Jesus rose
from the dead . . . so, I'm doing nothing for Easter Sunday - is that weird?
This is the year of in-between. The holidays used to be such occasions - gearing up, helping to plan and cook a meal, spending the days and evenings grazing on leftovers.
I had a conversation with a partner in my office about holidays sneaking up on me this year. I guess it is common if you aren't living with parents and don't yet have kids. Even after you have kids, he said, the holidays mean something else - it means giving the kids a holiday; it won't have your personal childhood meaning anymore.
This past Thanksgiving was a feast planned entirely by Alex's parents. All I had to do was taxi home a frozen cajun tur-duck-en delivered to my office from Louisiana and wash some vegetables. At Christmas, I was feeling a lot pressure at work and not really getting into the Christmas Spirit. The holiday came and went without much meaning for me personally, despite the Christmas tree full of toys for my nephews, Christmas mass with them, and holiday meals that my sister prepared. I made an effort to celebrate the Lunar New Year, because that has personal meaning to me. I sent out a couple of Valentine's cards because I missed my friends, and Alex and I kept it low key for what used to be a fave holiday of mine. Even St. Patrick's, which would at least get a mention from my friends for a round of drinks, was ignored except for us rolling our (old people) eyes at very drunk people on the local "Erin Express Bus" pub tours.
I think the holidays with personal meaning to me are summer days. Can my religion be long walks, hiking, and camping with friends? Sitting a campfire with my sister and nephews? Grilling all day to feed a dozen people in our apartment while the sun is still up at 8:30PM? Sitting on the beach in silence? Can't wait for camping season...
This is the year of in-between. The holidays used to be such occasions - gearing up, helping to plan and cook a meal, spending the days and evenings grazing on leftovers.
I had a conversation with a partner in my office about holidays sneaking up on me this year. I guess it is common if you aren't living with parents and don't yet have kids. Even after you have kids, he said, the holidays mean something else - it means giving the kids a holiday; it won't have your personal childhood meaning anymore.
This past Thanksgiving was a feast planned entirely by Alex's parents. All I had to do was taxi home a frozen cajun tur-duck-en delivered to my office from Louisiana and wash some vegetables. At Christmas, I was feeling a lot pressure at work and not really getting into the Christmas Spirit. The holiday came and went without much meaning for me personally, despite the Christmas tree full of toys for my nephews, Christmas mass with them, and holiday meals that my sister prepared. I made an effort to celebrate the Lunar New Year, because that has personal meaning to me. I sent out a couple of Valentine's cards because I missed my friends, and Alex and I kept it low key for what used to be a fave holiday of mine. Even St. Patrick's, which would at least get a mention from my friends for a round of drinks, was ignored except for us rolling our (old people) eyes at very drunk people on the local "Erin Express Bus" pub tours.
I think the holidays with personal meaning to me are summer days. Can my religion be long walks, hiking, and camping with friends? Sitting a campfire with my sister and nephews? Grilling all day to feed a dozen people in our apartment while the sun is still up at 8:30PM? Sitting on the beach in silence? Can't wait for camping season...
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