Season's Greetings

Two years ago, I wrote a post called "Merry Christmas" on this day. After coming to the USA, I learnt that "Merry Christmas" is a politically incorrect form of greeting. Here I have to say "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" to avoid offending anyone. I must say that if saying "Merry Christmas" offends anyone then they are the most intolerant creatures on this planet.

Anyway, let's not discuss the intolerant. When I wrote a few months ago that I was hoping that my first Christmas in the US would be a white Christmas, everyone around told me that it usually didn't snow before January. Yet, due to the snowstorm on last Friday this Christmas is as close to a white Christmas as one is likely to see in these parts. Our lawn is still covered in snow and although the roads and sidewalks are cleared, snow is still piled high on the sides. Most of the roofs have some snow and the park near our house is completely covered under a white blanket.
I went to see Christmas decoration at the Rockefeller Center on Tuesday. It was very beautiful, but the crowd was also beyond my imagination. Crowds seem surprising these days, ever since I left India. The cold was bitter but the sight of the huge lighted snowflakes, the angels and the Christmas tree with the nine foot crystal star at the top was worth all the trouble. I also visited some stores to buy gifts. Strangely, the queues at the counters did not seem to reflect the economic crisis; if they did, I wonder what the queues are like in other years. The stores didn't look too good though: one garment store was going out of business and they were selling off everything including fixtures, mannequins and furniture at throwaway prices.

Not much to write about now... My cousin brother and sister-in-law arrived from Ithaca today and we all gathered at my other cousin's house in Edison where we will spend the week having fun. Family get-togethers: that's what Christmas has meant for me since my childhood days. I will always miss my immediate family here in the US, but this is the best family get together that we could have.

So although I did not listen to LPs sitting in front of the fireplace, I did have a lovely Christmas. I hope yours were great too!