It’s Christmas time again in the city. In the past five years I have spent little time here during the holiday season. A few trips home on the weekend, a couple weeks here if I was lucky. That’s what happens when you don’t live where your heart is. Or where your family is, I guess.
Last year was especially distant, both figuratively and literally. Being out in the Bay Area, a quick trip home on the weekend was impossible. It would have taken all weekend to drive there. And plane tickets were outrageous. I was lucky to have gotten a ticket home, period. Reaching the upwards of a thousand dollars a pop by mid-November, I was forced to settle on a three-connection flight on the 23rd. But then, with the horrible snowstorms in Denver and the massive amounts of traveling going on, it soon became a wonder that I didn’t spend the holidays in the Phoenix airport. And trust me, some people did.
So this year I am officially home for the holidays and I am making no qualms with actively participating. As soon as I could, (ie. pre-Thanksgiving) I had my dial set to 93.3 for some lovely holiday tunes. I’ve decorated my house and I’m making a concerted effort to partake in the festivities.
This past weekend marked the first of many events with the Christmas in Avondale celebration. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Christmas lights? Caroling? Lots of red and green? Maybe a glimpse of Ol’ Saint Nick? Typical holiday ventures, basically.
Well, upon arrival my first thought became, “This isn’t very Christmassy.” I can barely recall the Christmas lights and am concerned I might have inserted them via my imagination. Or maybe they were really there. I did see lots of children and families, which certainly gets one in the holiday spirit, reminiscent of days yore with my own family and friends as a child. There was a couple dressed in what I assume was Dickens-inspired period clothing and there was the distant sound of caroling from a local band comprised of all ages, dressed in Santa’s hats and singing next to a decorated Christmas tree.
But what I remember the most was the fun. Running into old friends and family. Chatting it up with strangers. Wandering the streets in an altogether jolly way, beer in hand, smile on face, general merriment and luminosity. So perhaps, I began to think, it isn’t just the lights or the carols or the cider or the Santas that make a holiday party. Just maybe, it’s the time we spend together. The jovial united force that comes over each and every person. Maybe it’s the smiles, the conversation, the fusion of the masses in a great celebration.
In California, I basically missed anything along these lines. First of all, I didn’t really know many people, so the concept of running into someone on the streets was pretty distant. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, Californians are extremely PC. It wouldn’t have been proper or accepting to have a massive outdoors holiday celebration that included Christmas carols and Santa Clauses. Not to say they didn’t celebrate, but it was much more muted. We weren’t allowed to decorate the office and the only Christmas party I knew of was for my apartment complex. And to top it off, any talk of the holidays was usually centered around some political agenda, like how materialistic the world has become or how it rejects the importance of other religions.
I get what they were saying, but does it hurt anyone to have a good time? Why can’t we all rejoice in each our own way? I would have no problem attending a Hanukkah party or a Kwanza celebration. I think the holiday season is a time to celebrate and to love, regardless of religion or income, a concept not lost on us here in Jacksonville. So, celebrate (in Jacksonville) we will!
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