For the most part I've resisted the siren call of Christmas coming from the consumer world throughout November. Kayla and I did go to the Santa Claus parade last weekend following Black Friday, but I'd say it was worth it. I hadn't seen a parade in ages, and despite the fact that it was 45 minutes late, it was impressive.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have been quite ready for it all. Start too soon and you'll burn out well before the big day, is my policy.
But now that it's December, I've decided it's safe to officially get in the mood for the holidays. That means I'm listening to holiday tunes, Christmas lights and decorations, drinking egg nog, and starting on that ol' Advent calendar.
I know there are a lot of people who don't care for the Christmas holidays. They definitely have good reason; it can be incredibly depressing: every time I go Christmas shopping a little part of me dies inside, so I don’t blame them.
And yet, for some silly reason, I love this time of year.
For one thing, I draw a lot of inspiration just from this season. The encroaching darkness and cold makes us more introspective (and if you're anything like me, more sleepy), and in this dark world we can find a vast reserve of creative energy. I've noticed that on several occasions I'll set a story I'm writing deep in a dark forest in the dead of winter. I think this place, more than anything else, sums up the magic of the season. For me, it's a place of transformation and austere beauty, mystery and terror, danger and wonder.
As cliché as it sounds, for me, Christmas is all about that small light in the darkest hour that signals hope and rebirth. In this time there's something very powerful at work, on a deep, archetypal level. Every attempt I've made each year to try and recognize that power in an institutional sense, i.e. going to Church Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, always falls short and way off the mark. But if any time of year turned my thoughts to something we may call God, it would be this one. The darkness itself draws me in, and the call to create keeps me going. It sounds more pagan the way I describe it, but the layers of Christian influence play their part as well.
Christmas I will call it, as that is how it came to me.
This is also a very special year, because it will be my first Christmas away from home. This has been a very hard thing for me to accept, but now that it's on its way I want to make the most of it. I'll be damned if I don't do my best to make this a fun, memorable Christmas. Furthermore, since it's also my first Christmas spent with Kayla, it is an opportunity to start new traditions.
Today I partook in the BC Legislative Assembly's annual tree lighting ceremony down at the Parliament Buildings, handing out programs and candy canes to attendees as none other than the Honourable Amor De Cosmos. It was a short, fun gig, and a good way to start the month.
I will be cooking up a brand new Christmas short story this year, which I'll release a bit closer to December 25th. I may also do something with my first Christmas story from a couple of years ago, "The King of the North". So keep your eyes peeled, for these, and other updates throughout the month on my 2011 holiday shenanigans.
Adios, for now!
P.S. Did you know that on this day in 1822 Peter I was crowned Emperor of Brazil?
Yeah, neither did I.
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