The Christmas obsession

Dec 01, 2024

On the Fence - Jacelyn Johnson
And finally, Advent 2024 has dawned on us, and for most people, the Christmas frenzy will now begin. Not for me though, as I’ve started my Christmas a month ago. Or maybe more.

Yes, for the uninitiated, I’m one of those Christmas-obsessed people who begin the season mania way before it is generally acceptable. Last year, I had my tree up in September, this year, I waited until after All Souls Day at least. But of course, the carols have been ringing in my home since August, to the chagrin of many.

While these days, it may seem cool to mock or dismiss the Christmas obsession, I, for one, am not ashamed to admit that I love everything the Christmas season brings - the tree, the baubles and bows and tinsel, the carols, the baking, the shopping, the food, the message, the reason for the season, the presents, the family and friends get-togethers, and mostly, that little hope and joy and Christmas magic you feel in your heart which rises to your brain, and makes you all aglow from the inside. So why not make these feelings last just a little longer?

Psychology states Christmas joy is associated with nostalgia, and true to its word, I’ve been blessed with wonderful memories of Christmases all my life. Looking back, I realise that my obsession with Christmas goes back to a time in my life that was associated with those hollyjolly memories.

Christmas Past
Growing up, Christmas was always pomp and splendour, both in my family and the community I grew up in, despite the little that we had, tacky deco and all. That said, Christmas Day itself was usually dull in comparison to the days and weeks that led up to it. As I got older, Christmas festivities would begin in early November with carolling practice in our BEC and Christmas play preparations in our parish.

Most of this spirit is associated with my mom who, to this day, goes out of her way to make Christmas special. There was a time when sending Christmas cards was a thing. I would sit with my mom as she wrote cards for everyone, and like an obedient child, my job was to seal the envelopes and put stamps on them. My mom used to buy presents for everyone in the wider family, both on my mom’s and dad’s side, and again, we used to spend a lot of time, making lists of people we needed to buy gifts for, going shopping for them, and spend nights wrapping up the gifts, and writing names on them.

Then, of course, there was all that baking to be done. Again, I’ve been blessed with a collective family where, to this day, the Christmas cookies baking is a few days’ event on its own, where we will all gather in one house (usually my aunt’s) and go on a baking escapade. My task evolved as I grew, it started with arranging cookies in the jar, and from then it just spiralled to helping with putting on jam on the tarts, to rolling and cutting, managing the oven and bake time, and these days, I can make the dough, but it was always a big family activity and I love every moment of it. This tradition is still alive in our families.

As a child, we used to spend Christmas with my dad’s side of the family, whom we met once a year. My grandma lived in a village in Sitiawan, Perak, and every year, we would wrap things up at home, and pack the car with all the presents and cookies, and my dad would take us in his tiny car on a fourhour drive with Christmas songs playing and we would sing along throughout the journey. We would arrive at my grandma’s in time to put up a huge Christmas tree (seemed huge at that time) and there would be mountains of presents under the tree - something from everyone for everyone. Because it was a village, and my grandma had a farm, Christmas Eve would include catching a turkey from her backyard, culling it, and my aunt would make a beautiful roast for our Christmas Eve supper, which would be after the midnight Mass. This was a time when all my dad’s siblings and their families would gather, and it was the only time of year when everyone gathered under one roof.

Christmas Present
Now that I am an adult in my own right, and we no longer have carolling practices to go to, Christmas plays to organise, or grandma’s house to drive to, I have taken it into my own hands. We decorate my mom’s place like a mall, because of the amount of decorations we have collected over the years, and each year, we compete with ourselves, so that it is more extravagant than the last. We make it a point to have a Christmas Eve dinner so that all my aunts, uncles and cousins have a place to come to, and no one is on their own on Christmas Eve, and there are presents for everyone under the tree.

When I started living on my own, I also started a tradition where I have little Christmas parties every weekend of Advent for different groups of friends or family, and I love hosting them, as, firstly, I get to make all those Christmas foods I see on Instagram, and also, sometimes, it's the only time of year that I meet some of the people. It gives me that chance to keep in touch with everyone despite the year we’ve had. To me, this is the true embodiment of the Christmas spirit I grew up with, spreading love and joy, and cheer and food with our nearest and dearest.

Christmas Future
I do not know what the future holds, but Christmas this year is extra special as I start a new tradition for our little bundle of joy. As a first-time mom, I intend to make Christmas special for my little one, so that he too will get to experience that Christmas magic that my mom had created for me all my life. And although he is a wee bit little at four months old and may not remember much, it’s never too early to start a tradition, and at least for him, he will have pictures of his first Christmas.

Wishing everyone a blessed Advent, and I hope this Christmas, you do what makes you happy, and always believe in the magic of Christmas, and celebrate Jesus as the reason for the season.

(Jacelyn Johnson enjoys the occasional religious discourse and says it as it is, in an attempt to diffuse stereotypical observations.)