The week between Christmas and New Year's (in the U.S. at least) is a kind of non-week, a harbinger of January, the non-month, just ahead. All the lights and shiny ornaments that were merry only a couple of days ago begin to lose their luster after Christmas. All of a sudden, folks notice the tree is drying out, fading, dropping its needles. Lights and decorations in front yards start to look really tacky and excessive. Clearly the energy of the holidays is departing, but not quite gone, a bit like Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard.
These late days of December are not exactly the holidays anymore. Some people go to work (though for many they are simply going through the motions of work without actually accomplishing anything). Some of us go back to work with a vengeance as it were, especially those who work in retail or restaurants, or service jobs such as massage therapy. For some of us, the holidays are definitely done. But - others take this week off from work, spend their days futzing around their houses, shopping or whatever.
But the holidays aren't really over with until New Year's Day. So this week kind of is, but kind of isn't, the holidays. Like I said: a non-week.
A friend of mine loves the week between Christmas and New Year's. He says, "It feels like everything is in a holding pattern. It feels like a time to recreate and rebuild what you want your life to be."
I love that! Never thought of non-weeks in these terms before. Very cool, a chance to recreate and rebuild what I want my life to be? Instead of a non-week, I can think of this time as a clean slate, a week of pure potential. Yes? I say yes. Thanks Sean, you're a genius. I'm on it. Oh yeah.
7 comments:
futzing - great word! thats so true about the energy of the festivities slipping away. Now we are resting up, regrouping and thinking about the year ahead. I like that holding pattern too - recreate and rebuild - exactly!
Here too it's a non-week. Skeleton staffs most everywhere, all non-essential personnel on vacation. With both New Year's and the Epiphany (the day you eat as much frangipane flaky pastry as you can possibly get your hands on) coming up, we're still mid-holidays. Decorations won't officially start looking tacky until after Jan 2. And January is a very serious month. Gotta get some work done before the February school break when everybody either takes off skiing or to some sun-drenched destination.
Enjoy your week!
we usually take the week between christmas and new year off, usually spend the time with family that comes in from out of town. Not this year though as we have been off for several months and no one is coming in so we are going to get a bit of work done that got put off by the earlier events of this month.
reya i like this week as a care and maintenance week. the care and maintenance of body, self, family, bikes, books, music, home, friends. that way, when the year rolls over and around then i have generated the energy to look it square in the eye and say "let's see whatcha got!". steven
I suppose there is a little bit of "Norma" in all of us this time of year, or we might all go a mite "nuts",, lol. Maybe she held the key..reckon?
Yeah it's normal to go a bit nuts - it's all the rich food, sugar, liquor, at least that's how I see it.
Steven YES let's see what 2011 has in store for us. Yes please!!
Val love the word futz. Is that Yiddish? I have no idea.
It's very much a "non-week", I agree.
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