O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree

Yes, that jolly time of the year is here! It's been unofficial since Halloween (you know because Sunrise Mall had put up the Christmas lights even before Halloween and your neighbors are already compeiting for who has the most lights and inflatable characters installed outside their house). But as of the day after Thanksgiving, it's official and people won't look at you funny if you are humming Jingle Bell Rock while you wait in the check-out line at Wal-mart (heck, I do it in July)....oh wait, they will look at you funny anyways?.....

My mom and I went to purchase our Christmas tree yesterday afternoon and these were our top concerns...economy, economy, economy...this year we wouln't be able to to go those fancy black tents with $60 and up trees with fake snow...so we ended up getting a nice deal at Wal-Mart for $19...not bad huh? Sure it's a sheds needles and it is a bit skinny (I told my mom we could live by its example this holiday season and skip out on overeating buñuelos and tamales), but it's tall and green and is now happily situated at our living room window for all our neighborhood to bask in its glory. The only thing that we need now is to decorate it...but it's working magically as a room air freshner. I came home late last night from a late show at Movies 16 to a fresh forest scent and nostalgia and reality hit me fast, it's really Christmas already.

We also need to decorate our house outside so that is something I will probably end up doing..because somehow who ever mows the lawn also puts up the Christmas lights. Since our top concern will probably be economy again, I think I will just put up the icicle lights around the perimeter of the front of the house and blow up our inflatable dog, for my 2 yr old niece to look forward to looking at everytime she comes to visit. We usually put up lights on the ebony, shrubs and around the palm tree..but economy, economy is the key factor and I am sure the energy company will only be more than suffice with their charges as they were this past summer.

I know I sound rather pessimistic, but I actually do like Christmas..but what really brings Christmas down is the commercialization of it all..and if you want to partake in Christmas events, you have to cough up the dough...so even Christmas events are commercialized. Want to see the nutcracker??? cough it up. Want to see Messiash??? cough it up. Want to see Santa Claus??? cough it up. However, I do know that the lights are up at Washington Park and that is a wonderful thing you know! It's one of the few things to do in Brownsville that is not commercial based and some of my best memories are when my parents used to take my sister and I there as children. Back then, the park seemed like a huge wonderland of sorts and I remember there used to be tons fo families, just walking around enjoying the lights. Local estudiantinas and bands would come and perform at the bandstand for those lucky enough to catch the show...and guess what..the show didn't cost a dime. Sometimes, they would turn the sprinkers on at night, and it would only add to the show as the water would drizzle in color down to the ground. Now, for the most part the park is rather abadoned only with a scatter of families. I have yet to see the fountain working in years, which is okay on some terms because as I kid I used to love running around the inside of the huge fountain...I did a few months ago anyways with my niece. ;)

So Christmas is officially here. I say, celebrate as genuinely as you can. Hum a Christmas tune while you wait at the check-out line, take a house lighting tour in your own car with the kids in the back, go the Christmas parade held downtown, bake some cookies, take a walk at the park and take some cans of food to a local shelter. Oh yeah, and go shopping too, but all in good fun and spirit. :) Happy Holidays!