First salvo of the holiday season

I remember back in the day (1983, to be exact), going to see A Christmas Story at the movies. It was cute, and I was quite impressed with the loving detail put into set design. I came home and enthused about it to my dad. It was, I said, a very nice little period piece.

What period, he wanted to know, and when I said the 1940s, he started laughing. (I understand that reaction a lot better now that the 1970s are a vehicle for nostalgia, but that's neither here nor there.) This morning, I saw this article on Yahoo. Apparently an uber-fan has made good money selling replicas of the "Fragile" leg-lamp and bought the house from the movie. It's a nice little feel-good story, and it made me smile. It's here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061122/ap_on_en_mo/film_christmas_story_house

Speaking of feeling middle-aged, does anyone else long for the days when the Christmas season started on the day after Thanksgiving, period? Stores and cities didn't start decorating in October, didn't start trotting out boxes of ornaments and cards, or hanging tinsel ornaments along the streets and so on weeks ahead of time. There was Halloween, then a proliferation of turkeys and Pilgrims (Neo-revisionist political correctness may have done the boys from Plymouth Rock in.), and then---and only then was the Christmas season declared open.

Of course, in those days, it was the Christmas season. A certain amount of condescending mention was made of the concurrent Jewish festivities, but Kwaanza didn't even exist, and any pagans celebrating Yule were on their own, and encouraged to stay in the broom closet. Today, there is an edge of indignation from some people that a number of retailers have chosen to extend a the broader greeting of "Happy Holidays!" to their customers rather than assigning them the most commonly celebrated one. As someone who walks a path less traveled, I appreciate those retailers displaying that open-mindedness. (And when I find a box of Solstice cards and a Yule log next to the nativity sets and plastic trees, I'll be even happier.)

Happy holidays, y'all, and have a nice Thanksgiving.

First salvo of the holiday season

I remember back in the day (1983, to be exact), going to see A Christmas Story at the movies. It was cute, and I was quite impressed with the loving detail put into set design. I came home and enthused about it to my dad. It was, I said, a very nice little period piece.

What period, he wanted to know, and when I said the 1940s, he started laughing. (I understand that reaction a lot better now that the 1970s are a vehicle for nostalgia, but that's neither here nor there.) This morning, I saw this article on Yahoo. Apparently an uber-fan has made good money selling replicas of the "Fragile" leg-lamp and bought the house from the movie. It's a nice little feel-good story, and it made me smile. It's here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061122/ap_on_en_mo/film_christmas_story_house

Speaking of feeling middle-aged, does anyone else long for the days when the Christmas season started on the day after Thanksgiving, period? Stores and cities didn't start decorating in October, didn't start trotting out boxes of ornaments and cards, or hanging tinsel ornaments along the streets and so on weeks ahead of time. There was Halloween, then a proliferation of turkeys and Pilgrims (Neo-revisionist political correctness may have done the boys from Plymouth Rock in.), and then---and only then was the Christmas season declared open.

Of course, in those days, it was the Christmas season. A certain amount of condescending mention was made of the concurrent Jewish festivities, but Kwaanza didn't even exist, and any pagans celebrating Yule were on their own, and encouraged to stay in the broom closet. Today, there is an edge of indignation from some people that a number of retailers have chosen to extend a the broader greeting of "Happy Holidays!" to their customers rather than assigning them the most commonly celebrated one. As someone who walks a path less traveled, I appreciate those retailers displaying that open-mindedness. (And when I find a box of Solstice cards and a Yule log next to the nativity sets and plastic trees, I'll be even happier.)

Happy holidays, y'all, and have a nice Thanksgiving.