What makes Chritmastime, Christmastime?
So, I had a surreal experience yesterday. We walked into one of the shopping malls here in Colombo to get to the grocery store and were greeted by Christmas music! Not that strange, it is after all December, however, it does not feel like Christmas time. First of all, and maybe most important, most people in Sri Lanka don't celebrate Christmas. I think the Christian popluation accounts for only about 7% of the population, also of course there's no snow and it's not cold. This is maybe what made the experience a little surreal, since the particular carrol playing was "Walking in a Winter Wonderland"!!! I laughed out loud at the thought. Most of our Sri Lankan friends have never even seen snow let alone a winter wonderland. And they couldn't believe it when I told them it was 60 degrees colder in my home province than it is here!
Someone should send me a photo of a lot of snow on the ground so I can show them. Or a picture of cars all over the ditch...ahh winter.
So I got to thinking, what makes it "feel" like Christmas? For someone like me who periodically throughout the year has "Good King Wencleslass" stuck in my head it can't be just Christmas carrols. (for those of you who know about this, yes it still happens even in SL...) That's part of it I'm sure because most years by mid november I'm trying my hardest to hold off on the Christmas music so Scott doesn't literally tear his hair out by Christmas, but this year, I didn't thnk of it until we started planning our work Christmas party. I am going to sing in the Tamil choir, that should be interesting!
So it's not just the carrols, and apparently its not the Christmas decorations in the mall because I don't feel anymore Christmassy now than I did on Friday. And it's definitely not Santa clauses because we saw too Sri Lanka Santas today! (I must say I did a double take, I don't think I've ever seen a dark-skinned Santa before...does that make me really sheltered?)
And it's not Christmas oranges because I can get those here!
And it's not the spiritual significance of the holiday because it is not less important to me here, although going to church is a little less meaningful as I don't understand a word! (and the worship sounds like Abba.)
Three things I know, it's tradition, family and snow! I am thinking of the Christmas season and how different it will be this year and the things that bring a lump to my throat are candlelight services, walks in the snow, sitting inside drinking hot-chocolate and watching the snow, being with family, going Christmas tree hunting, decorating the tree (Colleen I guess you can hang snow-white this year! Just make sure you put her in the perfect place!), Christmas morning with stockings and gifts. All of those traditional Christmassy things apparently mean a lot to me. This is not news actually, I've always known that I'm a real sap about Christmas.
My friend and co-worker Carlos told me the other day that when events are attached to strong emotions, they are filed in a seperate section of the memory. And when you remember the event you feel the emotion again. I guess this is the definition of nostalgia! Anyways, I am feeling pretty nostalgic.
Since we will be in Spain at Christmas, there will be no more snow and winter wonderland there than here. (Hey Millers, maybe we should just meet in Aberdeen!) However, I am feeling incredibly greatful to be able to share the holiday with good friends, since I
know I will be feeling even more nostalgic the closer we get.
So, when you are trudging through the snow, trying to finish off the Christmas shopping (mine is done...earliest completion date ever!), listening to "Jingle Bells" for the 500th time, and hoping the guy behind you doesn't rear end your car at the next intersection, you can think of me and know that I'm missing it all!
