Greetings all.

Hope you are well. Here we are halfway through November 2022, and on the way to completing another year already. It seems like January 2022 was just upon us.

Earlier this week I was perusing a Facebook group about the Apple Watch Ultra. Someone had post a photo of a watch face with a closeup of Christmas lights against his real decorated Christmas tree. The question in the post was: “Does anyone have their Christmas tree up yet?” One comment in the thread responded by saying he put his yup last week. Early this week was November 7th, which means the commenter put up his tree at the end of October – a whole seven weeks before Christmas Day.

I’m fortunate enough to look back to a time where holiday celebrations, and the focus thereof, happened closer to the actual holiday. This is not to say that the commercialism of the holiday wasn’t evident then, but it’s always seemed that as the years went by, the commercialism of the holidays seem to take precedence over the meaning of the holiday itself – especially for Christmas time.

Thanksgiving has always been an interesting holiday, based on the reasoning behind why we choose to celebrate it (which I totally get, as it is the day in the US where we recognize, collectively, that we should give thanks for what we have), yet considering the history of interaction of Columbus and his crew with the Native Americans they encountered (and the results thereof), is VERY ironic.

As for Christmas, I literally focus on what the meaning of the actual word is and the “reason for the season” (which to some may be the purchasing of the best gifts ever). Christmas, for me, is the true inception of “thanksgiving”.

Back to commercialism, I don’t knock it, that’s not what this post is about. Holiday commercialism has been, and will always be, an inherent part of the holiday season – not just for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, but for all the others that precede them. It is the foundation and engine that drives business, after all, who DOESN’T like to take advantage of a good sale when one can? I just try to focus on the meaning behind the holiday and to not get stressed by the barrage of/expectations that come along with the commercialism of such.

What are your thoughts? Either way, I hope your holiday season is a happy and safe one.

Oceans of rhythm…

Fresh!