After I parted ways with faith as a kid, the holidays have always seemed very… ‘adults who still believe in the tooth fairy’ sort of thing. I haven’t actually celebrated since I was very young, and tbh it’s either a faith-based thing (which I don’t believe in, obviously) or it’s a cash-grab for corporations to unload back stock while acting like they are actually ‘so excited for the holidays’.
While I didn’t see a decline or hesitation around my neighborhood generally the last few years, my folks have been less and less giddy as time goes on. A couple years ago they bought their tree on the 24th. It’s like the excitement has weaned and they are just doing it because ‘we have always done it’, which again imo is stupid because you are stressing yourself out (and physically hurting yourself) by decorating the house, buying a tree, etc for something that they are only doing because they feel obligated. I’d happily take an extra $100 as a gift and free up an afternoon by not having to buy, haul home, decorate, and 10 days later dispose of, a tree. Same with house decorations, the neighbors aren’t going to care if we don’t spend 2 days cursing under our breath, stapling our fingers and almost falling off the room.
I dunno, it’s just so foreign to me. Any other time if a fat man burglarized your house, ate your snacks and left mediocre gifts as compensation that you’d return the very next morning anyway, you’d be pissed. But apparently it’s totally normal because it’s cold outside now.