Maybe it's the down economy. Perhaps I've been preoccupied with my office's recent move, and other things. Our Christmas tree's not up yet, so maybe that's it. Could it be the stress of the holidays -- get a tree, mail out cards, shop for gifts, attend a myriad of events -- that's turning me off? Then there's the fact that some of the annual holiday events we attend, like the Los Feliz Holiday Festival, have been canceled.
Whatever it is, I'm just not feelin' it. The holidays, that is. I haven't caught the bug, and Christmas is just 17 days away. Every year, I feel less prepared for the season... and every year, it feels like it creeps up faster on us.
Perhaps I'm not the only one. From Wall Street Journal:
y early this year, as the housing downturn accelerated and gas prices rose, the Cleveland-based company's research showed that consumers, spending more time at home, were focusing on personal relationships and reminiscing about happier times together.
"We could tell the mood was changing fast," says MJ Smith, American Greetings' director of consumer and cultural trends. "In the last few years, we've had cards with lots of glitter, but that's just not the mindset anymore -- people are more traditional now."
So American Greetings, which produced some 3,000 holiday-card designs this year, started to recalibrate. One of the first changes: deeper reds and greens.
"Santa is a true, traditional red, instead of the cherry red we've used in the past," says Susan Sliede, director of seasonal planning. "And instead of a shiny pattern on his coat, we're using flocking," she said, as she touched the velvet-coated paper.
Any of you having a hard time getting into the spirit this year?
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