Disclaimer: This is a cynical post. Kanya-kanya lang yan.
Dare I say it?
I think I can feel a tad of Christmas again.
I thought I'd never get the feeling anymore, just a memory trapped in idealistic childhood only to be heightened by its very loss and nostalgia. I've pondered upon this mystery on Christmases past. It's not a lack of imagination which you had in overload as a kid, perhaps when you've spent a considerable amount of years in existence, the grit of reality just levels with it. Yes some ideals gets gobbled up by reality but it doesn't mean the ability to imagine depreciates. When you've seen the worse or worst, dreams keeps hope alive. I believe adults are just kid with more responsibilities anyway. Somehow this Christmas seems different. The change is miniscule, but still. Or maybe it's...
The weather
Degrees are dropping to the point that it doesn't feel like the Philippines. Sure it's far from winter wonderland and snow angels but hey, you can go out in knits., wake up with your toes freezing, and feel stupid for going out in shorts. The shivers you get from cold temp does for Christmas jitters and kilig.
The food
We Pinoy's laugh and eat our way through life. My biological clock seems to have a new Christmas feature. I constantly crave for holiday treats these days. My friends and I (non-practicing Catholics and Open-minded Christians) are actually considering going to Simbang Gabi at 4 in the morning for some authentic after-mass bibingka and puto-bumbong.
The rush
I thought the world felt the ripples of the U.S.' economic recession? Malls are flooded with shopping-crazy hordes. Those who aren't in the mall are either carrying bags of items, look like they're about to go shopping, or (maybe I just can't digest this) look...happy. Maybe that's it.
The attitude
Election 2010 is a phenomenon that programmed almost everyone to be hyped about democracy and the practice of political rights. Suddenly, couch potatoes in the socio-political arena (i.e. ordinary Juan and Juana) attempts to be more proactive, skeptics become slacktivists, and so on...the same thing seems to be happening regarding the Holidays. There's just this inexplicable unconscious mass effort to get excited over Christmas.
Or have we just hit an all-time low, hence we've fooled ourselves to get all cheery for Christmas? Or maybe it's a cycle: the innocent child feels it, the young adults get too much of depressing things to null it, then you get so numbed by reality you revert to hoping and actually going back to the feeling. Hmmm...I wonder if there's a philosopher/anyone who had made a study on this. Long-awaited celebrations are anti-climactic in nature...
Tokwa, I'd just enjoy it while that tiny bit of Christmas feeling lasts, hahaha!
Happy Holidays!