Our cul-de-sac used to go all out (us included) with holiday decorations. It was fun but now we are all getting older and no little kids at home for the most part. The people next door have a little granddaughter living with them so they put a bunch of tacky inflatable crap on their lawn and a couple of other houses made a half-hearted attempt, but nothing like it used to be.
I am meeting a friend for lunch today she was mourning the fact that we are getting older and how it doesn't mesh with Christmas memories. Her son and his family are at odds with the family and she is not sure why. Her husband won't have their oldest daughter's family into their house. Her younger daughter and family LIVES with them. Daughter sponsored a low income family and held Christmas for that family in my friend's house, so, my friend and hubby were relegated to their office to watch football for Christmas. I was glad my two girls, at least, could come by for dinner and presents but it wasn't the joyous foolishness of our younger days. I decorated the mantle and put up a small pre-lit tree with some lights outside. It was even an effort to wrap presents and make dinner. I am glad to have the hubby I have. Last year a different friend and I went to volunteer to help at the donated Christmas dinner. But when they saw our canes, said, 'We'll let you know if we need you.' I don't feel depressed as my lunch friend feels but the times are definitely changing. Not as many old friends to contact. Next year I will have to plan a bit better. Not sure I want to help at church but maybe the senior center. At least I made cookies and the dishes are done.
Sounds like your friend needs a shoulder to lean on. Keep it positive for you both and walk out smiling and laughing.
Commercialism has torn Christmas. We all have forgotten, whose birthday is to be remembered. The family unit as We knew no longer exists. Another fact of life.
I've heard a few preachers point out that when God freed His people from bondage in Egypt, He admonished them to not adopt the ways of other cultures, and to not adapt the customs of those cultures to the way His people worshiped Him. Yet here we are today celebrating the birth of Jesus during a pagan holiday (the Winter Solstice) that was co-opted by the early Catholic church (A.D. 336) during a time of year that no Biblical account supports as being the season in which Jesus was born, and we're mourning the gluttony that Christmas has become. Hmm..... Which custom best absorbed the other? Leviticus 18:3 You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. Deuteronomy 12:29-31 When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations you are entering to dispossess, and you drive them out and live in their land, be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.” You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
Well, I wouldn't totally agree with this. Commercialism has been around for years and not everyone has forgotten whose birthday Christmas is. There are still plenty of churches that hold a Christmas Eve Service celebrating Christ's birth. As for the "family unit", again, it's not all gone! There are still plenty of "family units" going, especially in the farming and ranching communities. However, and yes there is a "however", since the Covid Pandemic, we don't see nearly as many homes decorated for Christmas as we use to. Not nearly as many friendly people as there use to be either. IOW, not just the Pandemic, but just everything that is happening in parts of the world and in America today. So many problems and complaints.
The man who wrote the Christmas Carol "Do You Hear What I Hear" did so for 2 reasons: 1-To plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis 2-His concern over how commercialized the holiday had become This was 1962. You are both right.
Mary I missed your comment. I doubt if people here are afraid to offend. There’s a lot of military here with both Air Force and Army bases in the area. It’s probably more to do with new people moving in or maybe the economy and utility rates. I’m not sure why.
I wonder if people are having fewer kids, and/or there are more retirees occupying those dwellings. Being single, I've sometimes put lights upon my house, but not every year. I would think that those with children are more likely to bother with it. The same goes for putting up a tree...with kids it's obligatory, with adults it's an option.
It’s a mix in this particular suburb. The houses are about 20-25 years old and because of the military there is turnover. There are active duty NCO families, retirees and non-military. There are a good number of one level ranch style homes sprinkled among mid-size and really big multi-level homes so there is a mix of family occupant sizes and ages. There are kids but not hordes of them. I ended up in this area because I found a one level house here and there are older couples and seniors in some of the other one levels that I see. I haven’t put up a tree inside or decorated outside since I’ve been here so I’ve no right to complain but I did miss other people’s lights this year. There are companies now that will put up and take down your lights for you. I guess I could do that but it’s not likely that I will. Maybe I will start putting my electric candles in the windows again next year. That would be a little less like Scrooge. Ha!
I saw a product on one of those "Shark Tank" shows that addressed this. The guy invented outdoor lights that were digitally controlled so you could change them with the flick of a switch for each holiday: Christmas, New Years, St. Patrick's Day, 4th of July, Halloween, etc. That way you never had to take them down. I used to live in a trailer park, so found this to be of extreme interest.
There are people here who decorate for every holiday. That’s what they need to go along with all their blow up characters.
I had a friend who decided to leave his Christmas lights up so he didn't have to keep putting them up and taking them down. He ran over the wires with his lawn tractor. They are still up 8 years later.