I may have mentioned in the past that Christmas is my favorite time of year. I may also have mentioned that every year, I do everything in my power to make Christmas an extra special time. But not only do I work my butt off every fall before December with insanely unreasonable work projects, but I've also begun to save some things and activities for December only. This means that I can't, I'm not allowed to, enjoy those things or do those activities outside of December. Breaking this rule would be cardinal sin. What's more, the rules - the list of things I can't have outside of December - seems to grow every year, and the longer the list, the more special December.
For example, I used to enjoy Swedish green cake every now and then. Now, I only have one or two cakes a year, and both in the beginning of December.
I also used to be able to watch Harry Potter movies all year round. Not anymore. Now, it's a December thing only. Same with The Office US and Parks and Recreation.
When it comes to Christmas chocolates, it's true that you can't get a good selection outside the season anyway, but stores stock up on them already in September and I can't have them until December 1st.
Then we have our yearly office pre-Christmas party, and every year we watch I Give It a Year. So that's something I only do once a year, in early December.
Then there are some amazingly well made Harry Potter themed Christmas ambiance videos on YouTube. Sure, they're only appropriate in December to begin with, but some of them have become specific to a certain year's Christmas, and I can't watch them outside that particular Christmas ever again.
Then there are some insanely delicious Christmas foods (like this one type of rye bread and rutabaga casserole and rice pudding and cognac mustard) that I can only eat in December and at 300/200/100-days-until-Christmas parties.
And I never, ever, drink coffee out of my Toy's Fantasy Jumbo Mug outside December. (I only got the mug last year and already it has attained a relic status. I can't even use it at those hundred-day parties.)
Finally, and obviously, I only watch The Snowman (1982) only once a year, on Christmas Eve.
I wonder what gets banned next.
RK
P.S. With great delight, I've noticed that I am taking the ring to Mordor this year.
