EVEN before the Halloween décor, princess costumes and scary masks could be gobbled up in preparation for the coming Halloween parties, Christmas trees are already on display in most department stores. And almost everywhere you go, holiday songs are already playing on a loop.
It’s a bit irrational and surrealistic to look at the plastic orange pumpkin baskets and creepy witch masks in one space, then turn around to be confronted by the piles of colorful Christmas balls and Santa Claus ornaments in another.
But that’s just us, Pinoys that we are. We live every moment with one foot in grave, agonizing and mourning while squeezed into tight MRT trains, for instance, and then as soon as we arrive at our destination, rejoicing and praising baby Jesus for still being in one piece.
But I’ll leave the psychoanalyzing of our nation’s bipolarism to psychiatrists, political commentators and would-be historians or critics minted from watching Heneral Luna.
I’m just happy that Christmas is coming. Seriously, we all need it.
Sure, the traffic will probably become even more hellish as the season draws even nearer, but nothing beats spending time with family, having a feast and exchanging gifts, to bring us back to some semblance of calm and sanity. (Unless you’re in my family where chaos often rules any time of the year; quiet and solemnity will likely disconcert rather than soothe us. Hahaha.)
So I was walking through The Landmark’s home section recently—it’s a regular shortcut I make through the department store and out to the mall—and I was just so deliriously thrilled to see the wide array of Christmas-themed throw pillow cases, bathroom and living room curtains, table runners and placemat sets, towels, etc.
I just wanted to pick up every item to take home, but my inner designing diva just had to scream in my head to take it easy. “Nothing good ever comes out from overdesigning your home in one theme!” the voice said. So I caught my breath, tried to relax, and moved away from the merchandise. But I did make a promise to come back for that cute holiday bath curtain.
Other than decorating the home with Christmas items, I also like wrapping gifts. It’s like meditation for me: I take out the item for gifting, measure it against colorful wrapping paper, cut the wrapping paper to size, then enfold the item while deftly snipping scotch tape to keep the item from spilling out of the paper. If the gift is huge enough, I pat down a ribbon on it, then scribble a greeting on the gift tag, to be attached again with more scotch tape.
I try to be personal in my Christmas wishes to the gift recipient, adding a touch of humor where appropriate. And after I’m done, I tick the recipient’s name off the list. I do this over and over again, quietly, although there could be the TV playing somewhere in the background, for about three hours. Every pretty gift-wrapped item is my little stab at art or perfection. (It was the same kind of satisfaction I got wrapping notebooks and books in plastic when I was younger. Nerdy, I know.)
There are some stores though with their own personal Christmas bags and gift tags, so all you have to do is tell the cashier to make sure the price tag is removed before he or she puts the gift item in the bag. At such stores, I usually tell the cashier to leave the bag open instead of closing it at the top with the store’s sticker, just so I don’t get confused come Christmastime who gets what.
I’m proud to say that I’m halfway through with my Christmas list. It’s not really a long list to begin with. At my age, I no longer feel the need to suck up to bosses or people I might need favors from in the future. So I really just buy gifts for those nearest and dearest to me. And send Christmas cards especially to relatives or friends abroad via e-mail. (I gave up on snail-mailing cards since these usually arrive at their destination either too late or too laughably early, or not at all.)
No, I didn’t suddenly come into easy money, giving me the means to buy up all the gifts in one fell swoop. I just buy the items one at a time, over several months. So by the time December rolls around, I’m sitting pretty at home, unfrazzled by the holiday madness of getting last-minute gifts for loved ones.
My list is pretty much the same for the last how many years now, with a few people just getting added or removed. Beside each name is a general description of an item, which I think the recipient would appreciate. The list is flexible, in the sense that I might find something in the market that might be more appropriate for the recipient. (I also like syncing my lists to my computer so I can keep track of my gifts to my loved ones over the years, making sure I don’t duplicate any.)
Some gifts I pick up in sales that are often held by department stores or branded fashion and home outlets, which occur all throughout the year. But for specific products like food, for instance, I just have to make a pointed reminder to order the delicacies in advance.
Remember to be thoughtful in buying gifts. You need to know the likes and dislikes of the recipient. This is quite easy when gifting family and friends, whose personalities you’ve more or less become familiar with over the years. But for bosses, clients, or officemates, it may be a stretch unless you’re particularly close to them. Take the time to research their background, or ask people they know what the interests of the recipients are. And it doesn’t matter if the gift item costs P199 or P199,000.
Giving gifts is not a mindless, thoughtless activity. You need to be serious about this and treat it like a sacred ritual. It takes sincerity and joy to give someone a present, so it will be received in the same spirit.
So get cracking on that Christmas list! And do give it a lot of thought.