Ok so Christmas never really starts for me until AFTER Thanksgiving. I don't care that the advertisements for toys and gifts starts at the end of October/beginning of November. I believe in giving Thanksgiving its props and not even DISCUSSING Christmas until we thank all the people that we love for the blessings that we have. Now that that's been said, Christmas season has finally begun for me. I'm not a huge Christmas person. It was a massive holiday for me as a child but now I'm just glad to spend the time with friends who are home for the holidays and coming up with quality gift ideas for the ones I love. Now that I find myself far away from home, I've come to realize this holiday means more to me than I ever really knew. The relevation came to me yesterday.
So the other day my co-worker and I decided to put up a Christmas in the office after our last class (actually it was more like me directing him on correct ornament placement and how neon pink is a very tacky color for Christmas decorations and will be NOT be put up around or in our office). But I couldn't decorate the tree without Christmas music playing or more specifically without the music of "A Charlie Brown Christmas". It's a tradition my family has and I can't dare to break. So I pulled up youtube on the work computer (which is a big no-no but I didn't care) found a clip from the beginning of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" with the song "Christmastime is Here" and played it as loud as our crappy speakers would go (which in reality was just a whisper) but it was enough for me. I only let it play once before I put on my headphones and listened to "Christmas Remixed" (a compilation of old Christmas songs with people like Dean Martin, Andy Williams, and Louis Armstrong singing but remixed) on my iPod. I knew I hadn't let the family Christmas tradition of always decorating the tree with Charlie Brown music being played die and I was happy. I even gave my co-worker my iPod and had him listen to some Christmas music for a bit while we decorated. It felt like Christmas had truly begun.
So in my excitment (or pleasure) of decorating the tree I went on to the decorate more of the office. I did the staircase, put a wreath on the outside door, and told my co-worker there is a checklist of things we need to buy. First we need a star for the tree (alas the teacher that came before me didn't leave one), mistletoe, a tree skirt, and a Santa hat. It was fun explaining to my co-worker what a mistletoe was for (kissing) and the purpose of a tree skirt (to keep the presents clean). He's never had an American co-worker before and from what I've learned, Japanese people don't really have a holiday comparable to Christmas. Christmas is about eating some of your favorite meals you only get maybe once or twice a year (I know I LIVE just to savor my mother's macaroni and cheese), the anticipation (and appreciation) of great gifts and taking time off to spend with your loved ones. But my co-worker told me a big difference between Americans and the Japanese (and maybe the reason why don't really have a holiday like Christmas) is that the Japanese live to work whereas we work to live. Hmmm....
Anyway...while my co-worker and I were decorating I came up with a wonderful plan. On Wednesday he and I are gonna go to the 100 yen shop and buy little gifts for the children at our school and put "From Santa" on them. Throughout the week we're gonna point out the gifts to the children but tell them they can't open them until the week of Christmas (which they'll hate). My overall plan is to teach the children about the RIDICULOUS amounts of anticipation us American children had to experience every year because we couldn't WAIT to see what Santa brought us. In the end they'll finally understand the true torment of good American Christmas. :-)
