Holiday bingeing
I really love the holiday season.
I'm usually the person who is humming along with the Christmas carols in the grocery store when scouring the sale rack for stocking stuffers.
I like the rituals like decorating the Christmas trees and sending cards to people who I really care about but with whom I don’t get a chance to catch up with very often.
But the holiday also has the potential to feed our addictions.
I do not think this is an accident. I think that people who make a point of going out of their way to exploit others’ weaknesses purposely make it seem like it’s OK to feed our urges this time of year.
When you think about it, the holidays really have something excessive for everyone.
• Shopping
There is a certain high that comes with buying something wonderful, either for yourself or for someone
you love. But this time of year commercials practically scream for you to give in to these compulsions.
• Eating
What’s a holiday party or family gathering without enough food to feed each person for a week?
In ancient times, feasts were often held because the gnarly weather meant there was not enough green pasture to keep animals alive through the winter. The animal herds were thinned to ensure that those kept alive would be able to survive and procreate when the weather warmed up.
That’s a far different rationale for gorging one’s self. Nowadays, if you have a tendency to be an over-eater you need not look any further than the hors doerves table.
Then there’s the people at the office bring in goodies ...
• Sports
In my family we were never allowed to have television on during holidays.
My mother had a saying: “People are more important than television.”
If we had guests over, it was considered rude to turn on the television. Likewise, if someone had something to talk about in our family, we were never allowed to say “can you wait until the commercial?”
When I was 24 years old my cousin Trisha had her first Thanksgiving dinner at her house. The women were busy getting things ready for the meal, and after a while I wondered where all the men were.
“They’re in the living room watching football,” I was told.
Before that, I never even knew there was a football game on Thanksgiving.
• Gambling
Another addiction on many people’s list. What’s not to love about watching sports and making a bet to make it more interesting?
• Drinking
Even people who don’t drink alcohol during the year are likely to drink a few spirits during the holiday.
But people who already are excessive in this department might feel it easier to reach for the bottle when there are 10 of them lined up on grandma’s antique buffet table.
• Casual contact
Then, for the affection-starved people, there's New Year's Eve. Somehow, there is this pressure to have someone to kiss when the clock strikes midnight. Add alcohol to this compulsion, and you've set some folks up for some interesting situations.
I suggest some replacements.
Hugs.
They won’t rack up charges on your credit card, don’t add to your waist and don’t cause you to write carefully crafted apologies to your holiday host.