When we arrived, I noticed that everyone wished everyone else a happy new year. Cashiers, friends, etc. called out the greeting as readily as folks around here imagine Okies say “Yee Haw!” They’re still extending the greetings. The New Year is a big deal in Jersey. People don’t get this excited about it in Oklahoma.
They certainly like the holidays around here. I’ve not really seen any manger scenes or menorahs to specify which religion a home belongs to, but they decorate nonetheless. Red bows, pine branches, and jingle bells abound. Still. At the end of January. It’s closer to Valentine’s Day than Christmas for goodness’ sake!
In Oklahoma, New Year’s Day marks the time where most people expect you to take down those decorations unless an ice storm has cemented them in place. Then, when the thaw hits, most homeowners remove them and pack them away until right after Thanksgiving when they haul them out and deck the halls with cheer once more. Otherwise, if those decorations stay up, you’re considered one of those kind of people. You know, the ones who still have their lights up in July and probably have one of those painted boards in their front flowerbed that looks like a woman bending over.
But here? I don’t know how long the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy lasts. I keep waiting for the wreaths across the street to come down and the nutcrackers to stop guarding the local homes.
I’m guessing since Groundhog’s Day is this weekend, they may pay special attention to Punxsutawney Phil and at least take them down before the tulips bloom.
Bah Humbug!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment