Life
Say what you will about people putting up their Christmas decorations "too early" or leaving them up "too long," because chances are those people are my people. There are things only people who truly love Christmas will understand, and I am one of those people. I make no apologies. I do not hide. I just, you know, truly enjoy this time of year.
For those of us who fall under that category; yes, we are adults, and no, we aren't weirdly trying to live out some childhood issues through the biggest gift-giving holiday of the year. Actually, when I really think about it, Christmas isn't even so great because of the gifts. It's everything that goes into the spirit of Christmas that make people love it. I'm talking strings of lights that get tangled together when attempting to hang them up for decoration. The Christmas cookies you're allowed to unapologetically enjoy while wearing knitted Christmas sweaters and drinking eggnog. The family time that, while sometimes stressful, always seems to be worth it.
The feeling of being nearly obsessed with the holiday doesn't come from the desire to gorge yourself on cookies (though that's not the worst upside of, obviously). Being a Christmas Fanatic comes from the whimsy of it all and the good feelings that automatically rise in you after hearing some Christmas carols on the radio. It's this break from "normal life," when you get to stop and appreciate the year behind you, hope for the year in front of you, and tell those around you how much you love them. So, if you're kind of obsessed with Christmas, like me, and are one of those people who truly love everything about it, we can feel a certain solidarity in the things only we will totally get.
You're Happy When Halloween Ends
It's officially no longer Halloween season, and even though Thanksgiving is right around the corner, we all know that Christmas is the real star and that glutenous day is just a warm up to the big show.
You're Excited When Thanksgiving Day Is Over
No, the day after Thanksgiving isn't revered by Christmas enthusiasts because of its Black Friday reputation. Well, OK, for some it is. However, the reason I hold it in such high regard is because this is the day when it's finally socially acceptable to be all about Christmas. Even people who aren't super into Christmas can admit it's coming soon. In other words, no one's going to tease you for having that blow-up Santa on your lawn since the beginning of the month.
Christmas Music Makes You Cry
That's right. Actual, emotional tears.
I can't help it. Those Christmas songs just tugs at me in all of the emotional places. I don't think sad is even an appropriate word. Christmas songs are just so oddly placed in the spectrum of music that the tune — mixed with the sometimes very love-themed lyrics — get me right in the feels.
You Get Chills Every Time You Hear The "Home Alone" Song
I mean, this is just a good movie in general, so it's no surprise that us Christmasphiles enjoy it any time of year. Even those who aren't in love with Christmas can attest to the enjoyment of this movie, but that "Holiday Flight" instrumental playing while the family is rushing about just says Christmas.
You Dedicate An Entire Day To Baking
As if you really need an excuse for a day like this, right? Still, there's totally something special about using Christmas as a reason to decorate sugar cookies and bake those peanut butter ones with the Hershey Kiss poop drop on top. You know the ones.
You Want To Keep Your Tree Up All Year Long
Basically, your Christmas tree is your most important Christmas decoration. It's probably pretty big, it's got all of those awesome twinkling lights all over it, and between the bulbs and all of those random snowflake or reindeer shaped ones, what's not to love?
You Drink Nothing But Eggnog
That goes for coffee, milk, soda, water; you name it. This sweet, sweet nectar of the life may be a seasonal item and not available in as large quantities any other time of year, so you'd better enjoy it in all of its glory now. Which, as people who truly love Christmas, we tend to do a lot. There's nothing wrong with an entire shelf in the fridge devoted to the stuff, right?
You'll Have Backup Tape, Scissors, And Wrapping Paper
As Christmas connoisseurs, we've likely begun our Christmas shopping in July, bringing us to a completion date somewhere in November. So, now that it's actually Christmas time we're in the wrapping phase. No matter how organized you claim to be, however, it's always a game of finder's keepers. Well, except for you. This isn't your first Christmas rodeo, my friend, so you have backups on backups on backups.
You Couldn't Care Less About New Year's Eve
Once Christmas has come and gone, a subtle sadness washes over you. The best time of the year is no more, and you're stuck waiting another 364 days until the next one can be unapologetically enjoyed again. Who cares about New Year's Eve festivities, right? You have more Christmas planning to do. In fact, the only reason why the New Year is even remotely relevant, is because it'll bring you one step closer to next year's Christmas.
