Monday, December 8, 2014

The Lost Art of Anticipation


We have FINALLY reached the time of year where I can get excited about Christmas. I have a couple friends—my Couch to Keg buddies—who are all into all that early crap. I give them a bad time as they start to get all excited around Halloween. Christmas stuff before December tends to just make me Scroogish. And here is why...

Know how Thursday is my favorite day? I actually enjoy my weekends best, but the BEST part is anticipating all that POTENTIAL fabulousity from BEFORE hand. On THURSDAY, the weekend could hold ANYTHING. It is all-encompassing wonder.

Well see, December leading up to Christmas is like that, but all these nuts are like... getting giddy for the weekend on Tuesday and there is SO MUCH STUFF to do between now and then... It makes all the WAITING harder if there is more of it.


I have a theory...

My buddy Jackie ALSO likes spoilers—she wants to know what is going to happen before it happens. The stuff associated with opening your packages and re-wrapping them in my mind, but it is just how she is. Me, if I know AHEAD it makes the actual experience less sweet... I am back to that POTENTIAL thing... I LOVE potential. These non-anticipators go to the last page of books and they peek when someone says “close your eyes”. I think there may be some fear at the element of surprise.


But now that I am in the holiday spirit, I wanted to share a couple things that are making me happy...


Pentatonix

I ordered their Christmas CD and they are amazing. I fell in love with them last year with their rendition of Little Drummer Boy. These guys won Sing Off in 2012—5 people acapella. From the CD I particularly love their Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and their original Mary, Did You Know. I've really enjoyed listening to these guys a lot.


Pretty Lights

I'm a bit of a nut for sparkly and Christmas Lights fit right in there—I love when all the lights are up.


And I love that stuff like this happens
A Couple Neighborhood Fun Events

We have, as a neighborhood, a caroling night that is a blast—we wander en masse and sing a song for people who are at home. Typically we carry a mug of spiked cocoa or something. We ALSO have a Winter Solstice Party we attend, and a Karaoke party...


How about all of you? Have you mastered anticipation enough to HOLD OFF on celebrating, or do you jump in as soon as possible because you have no self control? Erm... What are your seasonal things you love?

12 comments:

Ted Cross said...

You're a bit early for me on the Thursday thing, but I always tell everyone that Friday is my favorite day, because the anticipation of the full weekend is so great, whereas when it is already Saturday I can't help but feel that part of my glorious weekend is already gone!

And my wife drives me nuts looking up the endings of movies as we are watching them. She doesn't tell me the ending, of course, but just watching her have to know ahead of time is crazy!

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I like spoilers, too! I think I enjoy TV and movies more if I know what's coming (books, not quite the same). And my daughter loves celebrating early, so for her sake we decorated early and got into the spirit early.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I like being surprised, so I don't want spoilers.

We start getting excited for Christmas after seeing TSO in concert every year. This year it was on November 22nd, so we've been excited for a while.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Spiked cocoa - way to go!
I never cheat and look at the last page of a book.

Sarah Ahiers said...

I never know how i feel about Pentatonix. I mean, they're obviously super talented, i just can't make up my mind about whether i like them or not...

And every once in a while i will peek at the very last line of a book. I don't know why, but the last line very rarely contains spoilers so it's safe

Anonymous said...

Anticipation for me at present is to find a new apartment and a HOPE my daughter would get in touch with me....all I want is a hug from her.

Yvonne.

Andrew Leon said...

I'm not into spoilers.

Helena said...

Don't like spoilers, like surprises (good ones, at least) and I love anticipation. I remember how as a kid I was always THRILLED on Christmas Eve. By Christmas afternoon, the thrill was gone.

When I was a kid, nobody put up Christmas decorations before Dec. 6 or even later. We'd get our tree maybe three days before Christmas and it up for the full traditional twelve days, especially because my Dad's birthday was January 6, the Epiphany. Nowadays I can't stand how the store decorations are up right after Thanksgiving.

Chrys Fey said...

Sometimes when I'm reading an exciting part my curiosity will get the best of me and I'll skip a few pages ahead to skim the text. This never ruins anything for me though, because if I see something shocking I immediately jump back to read even faster. ;)

dolorah said...

I love the Anticipation of the Christmas season too. Its kinda hard when it all feels so much like consumerism though.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

I love the title of your post "the lost art of anticipation." I have a feeling it's going to stay with me just like the last phrase did I read on your blog "the highest level of incompetence."

Stephanie Faris said...

I love Christmas, but it seems like it's always too hectic to actually enjoy things! I never celebrate until after Thanksgiving. I learned a long time ago when you start celebrating Christmas in November, you're sick of everything before it's over. We put our tree up Sunday and that seems to always kick things off (along with eggnog and Christmas music!).