Bah Humbug or: How I Learned to Stop Hating Christmas and Love Frozen Appetizers.

When I was a kid, Christmas was full of whimsy and fun and extended breaks from school used for marathon sessions of watching Alf and eating cookies. In college, it was pretty much the same, only the breaks were longer and required round-trip airline ticket.

Somewhere around the time I purchased my first house, I grieved the loss of the Christmas I once knew. Suddenly tasked with putting up a tree, signing and addressing Christmas cards, sourcing wrapping paper I didn’t find tacky, and coming up with dishes to share at holiday parties that were easily transportable, the magic and carefree days were gone.

Now at the final stage of grieving, “Acceptance and Hope,” I’ve decided to do Christmas on my own terms. Among the most controversial of my choices is not putting up the plastic stick with green pointy things that was made in China, more commonly referred to as an Artificial Christmas Tree. If someone asks me why not, I’ll say it’s because my cat likes to climb up it and sway her 8-pound girth to tip it. Let’s just say that’s a half-truth.

I’ve also decided that, on occasion, it’s acceptable to procure a frozen appetizer and pretend it’s my own handiwork. I still enjoy cooking, but allowing myself to do this every now and then makes the times I do cook much more enjoyable.

The one issue I still grapple with is the Christmas Card. The thought of all the paper and postage just to send a pre-made design and message with my signature seems preposterous. But I feel I should return the favor to all who send me a card. Last year, I planned to send a card just to those relatives who didn’t have email, and do an e-card to the rest. But it snowballed and by the time I was done, everyone got a paper card.

I think most of us have little cheats like this we’ve created to cope with holiday stress, but we don’t talk about them, because we’re ashamed of what we’re feeling (no, I’m not talking about spiked eggnog). Maybe it’s nothing monumental, but it’s important to think about, peeling back the layers of this magnified holiday.

-- Alicia DeMatteo