Letters to the Editor

Slow down, spread the joy

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

To the Editor:

I appreciate Scott McLeod’s sage advice to relax for the upcoming Christmas day and following New Years. One of the problems with the way our society celebrates this time is it depends too much on “the one big day.” 

Liturgically, Christmas is a 12-day holiday starting on Christmas Day. I am no longer a church-goer, but I still have advocated for spreading out the celebration so that the obligation to get everything done for the 25th isn’t so self-defeating, stress inducing, and spirit depriving.

For one, we all know about Christmas Creep, a phenomenon that has morphed since Black Friday sales day. This whole rush to shop has swamped Thanksgiving and starts a frenzy push that for some “feels good,” but for all is “not good.”  

We just finished decorating yesterday. We have only a few gifts purchased. We plan to have a “12th night” holiday meetup for friends and family. My sister in New Jersey does the same.

I say this to readers of The Smoky Mountain News because Appalachia would benefit from being a genesis of such a cultural shift from frantic to reverence.

Related Items

Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) is common throughout the mountain region and often used in Christmas decorations. Adam Bigelow photo
Outdoors Columns

Happy Holly Days

Editor’s note: This is a re-print of a column that originally ran in 2022. There are many…

Tim Truemper  

Salisbury

Tags:
Share:
Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Contribute >
Partner content: Persimmons
Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian
Partner content: Persimmons

Did you know that there are 2 different types of persimmons?

There are astringent and non-astringent persimmons. 

 Read More
Partner content: On Vitamin/Mineral/Herbal Supplements
Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian
Partner content: On Vitamin/Mineral/Herbal Supplements

Have you been advised by your MD or PCP to take a vitamin or mineral or herbal supplement? 

“Dietary supplements are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they reach the market.

 Read More
Partner content: Cross-contact or Cross-contamination – What’s the Difference?
Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian
Partner content: Cross-contact or Cross-contamination – What’s the Difference?

Cross-contamination is the term used when pathogens (bacteria, viruses, parasites) that may result in food borne illnesses (food poisoning) are transferred from:

1. a surface to another surface - e.g. using the same cutting board to prepare raw meat and cooked meat 

 Read More
Partner content: Sensationalism and Seed Oils
Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian
Partner content: Sensationalism and Seed Oils

These days there’s a lot of negativity about “seed oils”. According to some of the social media “influencers”, seed oils are ones made from: canola, corn, cottonseed, soybeans, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, flaxseed, and sesame seeds. 

 Read More
Go to top
Payment Information
/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.