I had to take care of some business at the bank today. As I was leaving, the manager said to me, “If I don’t see you, Merry Christmas!” It was the first Christmas greeting I have received, and it reminded me that we have entered “In-between Time.”
The Monday after Thanksgiving is one of the strangest Mondays of the year. Most return to jobs after a four day weekend, and it would be expected to feel like coming back after a vacation. Work may be nice, but wasn’t it nice to be away for a while?
But somehow no. The Monday after Thanksgiving is the beginning of “In-between Time,” a time between holidays that feels different from any other stretch of the year. This is particularly true in the school world, where two to three weeks of work are prelude to a two week vacation, but it is felt in offices across the work spectrum.
The “In-between Time” is the true opening of the Christmas season. Though stores want it (much) earlier and strict “Adventists” (though who insist that Christmas shouldn’t be celebrated until the day) want it later, there seems to be a general agreement among rational people that it is ok to start feeling and showing the Christmas spirit. Decorations start to appear in offices, people start to discuss plans, and you start hear holiday greetings.
Not as much work gets done as in other times in the year. People spend much of their time at work mentally preparing (and sometimes actually preparing) the many things that need to be done. There are parties and luncheons, and more silliness than is tolerated for the rest of the year. Long after we have left school, there is a part of the heart that knows, Christmas vacation is coming.
For me, the first appearance of holiday decorations (once Thanksgiving has past, and I no longer have to view them with righteous indignation) during “In-between Time” is a truly happy moment for me every year. I’m certain this is not true for all, but for me, these precious few weeks are a yearly playground for the soul for which I am grateful. Not Thanksgiving, not yet Christmas, but something in-between.
As always, I welcome your comments.
Image: https://christmas.365greetings.com/christmas-decoration/office-christmas-decorations.html