So after that last post in which I affirm participating in the trappings of the Christmas season, I have to acknowledge that a lot of those trappings are well, just plain stupid and pointless. Take for instance the Cavalcade of Bad Nativities. One really has to wonder why anyone would spend money on such abundance of kitsch and crap, but it piles up every year. And I fully admit to owning my fair share of Christmas crap, I swear it just appears out of nowhere.
So in the spirit of acknowledging the pointless and tacky elements of the season (and because I haven’t done one of these in a long time), I’m posting my answers to the RevGalBlogPals Friday Five – grumbly Christmas edition.
Please tell us your least favorite/most annoying seasonal….
1) dessert/cookie/family food – Snickerdoodles. I usually get at least a plate or two of these each year in one cookie exchange or another and I honestly can’t stand the things. For one I hate hard cookies of all types. And secondly the false advertising in the name just annoys me. I mean SNICKERdoodle – I’m expecting a gooey confection of chocolate and caramel, but instead I get a generally overcooked and crispy sugar cookie dusted with cinnamon. Very disappointing. Oh and I can’t stand ham either.
2) beverage (seasonal beer, eggnog w/ way too much egg and not enough nog, etc…) – Champagne. Okay so I’ve only ever had cheap Champagne (technically sparking wine and not really Champagne), but I’m not a fan. Give me a cocktail or even better a nice steaming cup of spiced wine, but I’ll pass on the bubbly.
3) tradition (church, family, other) – White Elephant Gift Exchanges. The idea of going out to spend money on crappy kitsch that no one needs just to be cheezy represents all the things wrong with consumerism in America. Even when the point is to pass on cheezy crap that you already own, it seems that we are just showing the world that we have so much money that we own completely worthless crap that we can joke about. If we have to do a gift exchange I would much rather bring “nice” or usable gifts. A bottle of wine, a plate of fudge – stuff that will be used and not just end up in a landfill somewhere. (and yes I am ranting because I was voted down last night as our church planned our Christmas party…)
4) decoration – Hands down those giant inflatable lawn things. Tacky. Creepy. Just plain annoying.
5) gift (received or given) – Every year for Christmas growing up my grandfather gave me a porcelain statuette. Nice ones from designer names. Besides now having a collection of porcelain animals that I have no clue what to do with, what kind of gift is this for a 6 year old to open at Christmas?
BONUS: SONG/CD that makes you want to tell the elves where to stick it. – I’ve always hated Away in a Manger. The stupid lines that proclaim that the little baby Jesus was too holy of a baby to cry and the sing-songy tune that gets stuck in your head. And speaking of cheezy nativity sets. Emma has the Little People Nativity which, of course, plays Away in a Manger. She loves the thing and plays it incessantly. The joy.
So with this outpouring of Christmas Spirit are we ready to get this season underway? 