the most wonderful time of the year
I think this, in fact, is the most wonderful time of the year — that lull between Christmas and New Years, a week that always feels to me like time without time. Especially as a non-Christmas-celebrator myself (By the way, that takes a lot of explanation in a Catholic country, even though just about everyone you meet quickly tells you they’re not Christian, they’re atheist. Yet they celebrate the Epiphany. Anyway.), I’m always just glad when it’s finally over, and we’re all back to being the same, in this case over-dosed on pre-fab “holiday cheer” and at the end of our tethers with our relatives.
Maybe it’s because I’m in a religious minority, or just used to the plurality of religions and holidays in NY, but I think I always preferred the holidays that are for everyone anyway — Thanksgiving, New Years. No, St Valentine’s Day is not on that list. July 4th, though I feel like one’s enthusiasm for that holiday often depends on one’s politics (AKA I went to a summer camp as a kid where we didn’t “observe” the day because of all the Native Americans that were oppressed.) I definitely like that Thanksgiving can’t be commercialized, although New Years has somewhat, with every bar in this town seeming to charge 70 euros for dinner and drinks, or “just” 35 if you get there at 11, “even less!” (30) for after midnight. (Who starts their New Year’s after midnight? Exactly.)
So suffice to say I’m not sure about my plans yet, but I’m enjoying the calm beforehand too much to really care. This is a week when things feel clearer, it’s easier to take stock of things because it’s a time when you tend to not be thinking about anything you want; you probably just got it, and you certainly ate more than any one person really should.
I’m getting a few days’ head start on my New Years’ Resolutions while I’m at it, because when I actually start them at the new year I just seem that much more programmed to fail. With that I’d like to declare my own holiday this week:
Happy lull, everyone!
