It really is a very strange tradition when you think about it. To bring a live plant (or get a fake plastic tree out of the attic/cupboard etc.) and then decorate it with tiny lights, and cheap bits of coloured plastic. Don't get me wrong I love it, but it really is a very strange thing to do. I know it originates from the pagan winter celebration, which the Christians conveniently tried to cover up by deciding that Jesus was born in December. I'm totally up for celebrating my pagan roots, at least it provides a counter argument to those people who say you shouldn't celebrate Christmas if you don't believe in Christ; they shouldn't have a tree.
I'm not sure where this blog is going anymore. It started off just to point out the strangeness of decorating a tree, now I don't know where I'm going with it. Another strange thing is how if you ever get a Christmas card with a nativity scene on it (in fact these are very rare how, we haven't received a card with anything vaguely Christian on it) it will depict a stable covered in snow, how often does it snow in the Middle East??
One last observation about Christmas this year, is the lack of big light displays being put on people's homes, Mother and I decided that this is a product of the economic downturn we are experiencing (this continued with reasoning from me about why labour probably won't win the next election, if it continues, but that's another subject) people are feeling the pinch. I'm sure this isn't helped by the ridiculously expensive toys on the market that I'm sure children everywhere are demanding. I remember when the biggest thing children asked for was a bicycle (lol, sounds like 'an in my day' moment, I'm not that old, amazing how much things can change, think of computer when I was at primary school, there were about 5 running MSDOS, now there is more than one in every home. Plus the Soviet Union collapsed in our life time, yes a lot has changed without us really noticing), anyway now kids can have a £250 robotic dinosaur that develops its own personality! I do think that this is a case where the commercialisation of Christmas has gone too far. People spending money they haven't got on stuff they don't need. I've ever understood why people would spend money they haven't got; mind you I'm good with money. Christmas can be done quite cheaply with a bit of effort, but then I share a talent with my mother for being able to choose cheap things that look expensive.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Decorate a tree, spend less and have a better time!
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