Feliz Navidad

I miss people today. Christmas is a little different here- no snow, no decorations, no tree, etc. On the plus side, no irritating commercials coming at you from every which way. So that is really nice. I do hate the commercialism associated with Christmas in Canada. And boxing day. But I didn't realize how much I missed snow and all our traditions until now. Maybe it's good to get out of the traditions at least once- then you can a) appreciate them more, and b) realize that they are just that, traditions. They're not vital to life, or to the actual significance of Christmas. I can celebrate Jesus' birth without decorated trees and snow and colored lights and Santa Claus and presents and Christmas carols (which should be sung other times anyway, because they are theologically loaded). Maybe it's good that I only heard the Christmas story (from the Bible) once in Spanish, and then I read it this morning because I felt like maybe I should follow tradition. I can be a Christian without emphasizing Christmas so much. Although we did eat turkey last night, then stay up late playing games. But you know, it's okay. Things can be different. Maybe it just means I'm popping my prairie bubble. I'd like to see it different in Canada, just once. Without the hype. Without the extra church services that were only good because you got candy at the end and the smallest children with the bells every year were cute. Without the Christmas Eve service that drags on when all you really want to do is go home and open your presents. (I do realize I am 21 and saying that I always thought Christmas Eve services were boring. Except for the candle part. Fire!) Without the presents... Without everything we thought we needed. As a good friend of mine once said, "I want to spend time contemplating the theological significance of the birth of Jesus Christ, and it's not even something I get to do very much of in church, because we only sing like 2 or 3 verses of a Christmas carol, and miss all the theology in the other verses of the song." And then we talk about one of 3 passages in the Bible: Matthew 2, Luke 2, or Isaiah 9:1-7.
So despite the fact that yes, I do miss my family today, it's kind of nice, actually, it's really great, that Christmas has been changed up for me. For the better, I hope.
After all that,
Feliz Navidad