So Christmas, to me, is a very strange thing. In past years, the excitement has dimmed, the spirit-- though still present-- has become repetitive, and the gifts-- both giving and receiving-- receive 更多 and 更多 disappointed reactions. Basically, it has been slowly, but steadily losing its flavor. And while, a few years ago, I watched Taylor Momsen sing away in the new Grinch movie and wondered the same thing she did, my ending wasn't as cathartic as hers.
Eventually, though, I came to accept that 圣诞节 just wasn't like it was for me ten years ago. When my brother would sneak into my room and wake me up at 3AM on 圣诞节 Eve so we could go on a covert mission to spy on the presents Santa left us under the tree. When I pretended to still believe in Santa when I found out he wasn't real at eight-years-old, because I thought my thirteen-year-old big brother would be disappointed if I didn't. When my dad forced me to set my alarm clock for a reasonable hour-- seven, 或者 eight o'clock instead of three 或者 six. How I always reset it after he 说 good night, and how he always came back in when I was asleep again to set it back.
But today, I came to a different conclusion.
Now, this isn't an 文章 about how I found "the true meaning of Christmas." But it is an 文章 about growing up a little.
I 爱情 Christmas-- even though the excitement has dimmed, and I always will. I 爱情 the TV specials, and the radio stations playing carols 24/7, and the lights on the houses, and the cold weather. And today, my parents went to sleep and I waited around for a while. And then I decided to go get their 袜, 放养 stuffers and fill them.
Now, when I was eight-years-old and found out there was no Santa Claus, I also understood why my parents' stockings were always empty. So from that 年 前锋, 期待 I took it upon myself to fill those stockings. In the beginning, being a child, all I could do was put 首页 made 饼干 and cards etc. in them. But as I grew older, they turned into really nifty gadgets and things.
Anyways, this 年 I told them there wouldn't be a lot and they looked at me and 说 they didn't care. Every year, they tell me not to do it, 或者 at least my dad does. My mother always thinks it's cute, even though I'm nineteen now and it's a sterling silver 项链 and pendant instead of a macaroni one. So anyways, I switch on my 圣诞节 音乐 and start humming as I put the things in their stockings. I realize I needed to write to, from and 日期 on the gift I was putting in my Dad's stocking-- a "Remember When" booklet from 1948, the 年 he was born. On the 列表 of famous births, I put a Post-It that read my Dad's name, birth date, and occupation ("Awesome Dad") just like the others listed. I put it in the stocking. I poured in the Hershey's kisses I bought. I walked 由 the 树 and saw the 糖果 canes hanging there, and put one in each stocking. OK, this is getting too specific. The point is, I thought I had been done, and realized there were so many little things I could do without going shopping.
Just as I finished all of this, smiling a little, looking at the presents, I sat down, about to turn of the 音乐 and the computer, when my phone goes off. It's not a text message 或者 a caller, it's an alarm. 12:00-- "Christmas!" is what the screen reads. I set the alarm a 年 ago, on December 26th.
I don't know why, but the alarm stirred something in me. It reminded me when I purposefully set it for twelve, because of all those years 以前 when I would be asleep 由 now. And I realized, I had become my parents-- in the good way, not the bad way. I did their stockings every 年 because regardless of if they needed me to 或者 not, I liked feeling like there was something I could do to take care of them. I liked putting Post-It's inside booklets and stealing 糖果 canes from the 树 for them. Hell, I even ate a cookie and a glass of milk.
It made me feel good.
And I don't know if it's because my brother is all alone in Hull, England this Christmas, 或者 because I realized that today I really spent some quality time with my parents, 或者 because I don't see my family as much anymore living all the way across the country from them, but... I actually felt like it was the best 圣诞节 Eve in a long time.
And that's it. That's all I really wanted to share... Sorry to take up your time, but I warned 你 it was corny.
Eventually, though, I came to accept that 圣诞节 just wasn't like it was for me ten years ago. When my brother would sneak into my room and wake me up at 3AM on 圣诞节 Eve so we could go on a covert mission to spy on the presents Santa left us under the tree. When I pretended to still believe in Santa when I found out he wasn't real at eight-years-old, because I thought my thirteen-year-old big brother would be disappointed if I didn't. When my dad forced me to set my alarm clock for a reasonable hour-- seven, 或者 eight o'clock instead of three 或者 six. How I always reset it after he 说 good night, and how he always came back in when I was asleep again to set it back.
But today, I came to a different conclusion.
Now, this isn't an 文章 about how I found "the true meaning of Christmas." But it is an 文章 about growing up a little.
I 爱情 Christmas-- even though the excitement has dimmed, and I always will. I 爱情 the TV specials, and the radio stations playing carols 24/7, and the lights on the houses, and the cold weather. And today, my parents went to sleep and I waited around for a while. And then I decided to go get their 袜, 放养 stuffers and fill them.
Now, when I was eight-years-old and found out there was no Santa Claus, I also understood why my parents' stockings were always empty. So from that 年 前锋, 期待 I took it upon myself to fill those stockings. In the beginning, being a child, all I could do was put 首页 made 饼干 and cards etc. in them. But as I grew older, they turned into really nifty gadgets and things.
Anyways, this 年 I told them there wouldn't be a lot and they looked at me and 说 they didn't care. Every year, they tell me not to do it, 或者 at least my dad does. My mother always thinks it's cute, even though I'm nineteen now and it's a sterling silver 项链 and pendant instead of a macaroni one. So anyways, I switch on my 圣诞节 音乐 and start humming as I put the things in their stockings. I realize I needed to write to, from and 日期 on the gift I was putting in my Dad's stocking-- a "Remember When" booklet from 1948, the 年 he was born. On the 列表 of famous births, I put a Post-It that read my Dad's name, birth date, and occupation ("Awesome Dad") just like the others listed. I put it in the stocking. I poured in the Hershey's kisses I bought. I walked 由 the 树 and saw the 糖果 canes hanging there, and put one in each stocking. OK, this is getting too specific. The point is, I thought I had been done, and realized there were so many little things I could do without going shopping.
Just as I finished all of this, smiling a little, looking at the presents, I sat down, about to turn of the 音乐 and the computer, when my phone goes off. It's not a text message 或者 a caller, it's an alarm. 12:00-- "Christmas!" is what the screen reads. I set the alarm a 年 ago, on December 26th.
I don't know why, but the alarm stirred something in me. It reminded me when I purposefully set it for twelve, because of all those years 以前 when I would be asleep 由 now. And I realized, I had become my parents-- in the good way, not the bad way. I did their stockings every 年 because regardless of if they needed me to 或者 not, I liked feeling like there was something I could do to take care of them. I liked putting Post-It's inside booklets and stealing 糖果 canes from the 树 for them. Hell, I even ate a cookie and a glass of milk.
It made me feel good.
And I don't know if it's because my brother is all alone in Hull, England this Christmas, 或者 because I realized that today I really spent some quality time with my parents, 或者 because I don't see my family as much anymore living all the way across the country from them, but... I actually felt like it was the best 圣诞节 Eve in a long time.
And that's it. That's all I really wanted to share... Sorry to take up your time, but I warned 你 it was corny.
If 你 want to wish "Happy New 年 " to someone in Greece, then 你 should say: Kali Hronia.
For "Happy New 年 Day" in Greek 你 should say "Kali Protohronia".
If your friend is called Manolis 或者 Hristos, his nameday is on December 25 (Christmas day). Wish him "Hronia Polla" (Many Happy Returns) for his nameday.
The same applies if your friend is called Vassilis, Yiannis 或者 Fotis. Vassilis nameday is on January 1, Fotis' nameday is on January 6, Yiannis' nameday is on January 7.
During 圣诞节 holiday period, which lasts from December 24 until January 6, plus a couple of weeks past that, it is a custom in Greece to wish "Hronia Polla" to the people 你 meet. So, if 你 meet someone in the morning, the proper way to greet him 或者 her is: Kalimera, Hronia Polla! (Good morning, Many Happy Returns).
