You know it's really odd. Tomorrow is Thursday. That isn't odd. But unless you're vastly uninformed and unaware of the (majority of the) world today, tomorrow is, indeed, Christmas Day and the start of what Christians like to call "Christmastide" (aka the twelve days of Christmas). Christmas is one of those annual holidays that is mostly taken up by almost all families, regardless of being Christian or not for it gives them the chance to exchange gifts and spend time with each other - a time to catch up (as if spending one day at the end of the year together makes up for not seeing each other all year before that).

I am not a fan of Christmas.

As a kid, you always believe that it's just the natural order of things and heh, you love it because you get lots of presents from "Santa" and all your family and it's a great day, but the older you get, the more this illusion fades and the reality becomes clear that christmas is not all it's cracked up to be. And, if you're like me, you'll realise it's just another stronghold that Christianity has put on the world in its quest to conquer over us - but that's a story for another post.

No, I'm not a fan of Christmas really. Not anymore. Growing up, I loved it. Everyone loved it. But to me, it's just another day. It's also my birthday on Saturday. I'm going to be nineteen. I'm having a bunch of friends over to celebrate and then we're meeting even more people in town in the evening, but I didn't realise how soon it all was. Someone spoke to me on Monday and asked me if was excited about Saturday. I turned around to them and enquired, "why? What's going on then?" before being promptly reminded it was my birthday. Time had flown by so fast that I hadn't even noticed my birthday was going to be in less than a week. Everyday is just the same at the moment, nothing is new.

It's the same with Christmas, obviously, because it's near-enough the same time as my birthday. I haven't even noticed that it's Christmas tomorrow. The spirit hasn't been there this year. Normally it's really obvious every year as there's always these big gestures by people with the lights on their houses or the clothes that they wear. There's always decorations that've been around since mid-November to remind us that Christmas is on it's way. But not this year. Or maybe that's just me? Nothing has felt "Christmas-y". It just feels like another day, but a day that everybody has decided to make a huge effort.

I don't see the point. It's like Valentines Day. Why should you go all out for just one day of the year to show your love? Why not show your love everyday, not just with flowers or chocolates or balloons, but with small little gestures of kindness, thoughtfulness and romance. It's not difficult. I don't see why we should make this grand effort on Christmas Day, to buy each other lots of gifts or to make the effort to see our families that we don't see for the rest of the year all round. What's so hard with making this effort during the year. An e-mail, a phonecall, hell, even write a letter and send it by snail mail. Is this what the human race has really become? A selfish, introvertal species who feel the need to only do things by a religious rulebook. Is it really so hard to do things through choice rather than what is recommended by someone elses tenets?

And so I don't like Christmas. I don't like the way things are done.  I'd rather spread my "Christmas" about across the entire year, and make the effort with those who mean something to me. Of course, you can only do that if they make the effort too, but that's up to them isn't it?

I suppose everybody's entitled to their own beliefs and choices though, and if it keeps them happy, then so let it be.

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