Modern Hill Woman

The last week of the year is confusing. We all spent weeks, possibly months, preparing for Christmas. There were presents to buy and wrap, parties to attend, food to purchase and prepare, getting ready for Dec. 25. Now you’re left with a dead tree and scraps of wrapping paper. It’s time to decide if the tree is coming down and if the decorations and lights will just stay up until you get around to it.

There’s a refrigerator full of food that you’ve eaten on for three days. You’re feeling bloated and full of cheese. You’re not sure if you should throw it all away or just eat it until it’s gone. What day should you start trying to disguise the leftovers as something new? And it would be a shame to throw those last dozen sugar cookies away.

From Dec. 26-31 I don’t know what day of the week it is, I sure don’t know the date, and I really don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing. Do I just wait till after Jan. 2 to get my life back on track?

I usually know when the day after Christmas is because I hit all the early morning clearance sales. But this year our Christmas was celebrated on the day after Christmas, which added to this in between week of confusion. Those in the workforce might know what day of the week it is, but I’m not so sure about their productivity. I’m sure there’s a lot of “pretend work” going on.

This weird, confusing week in the middle of two long weekends, where the days just melt together and time and reality is skewed, doesn’t really have a name in English. In Norway, they call it Romjul or mellomjul, which means the period between Christmas and New Year. Some have started calling it “Twixmas”, a time betwixt and between. It is a part of the Twelve Days of Christmas, lasting from Dec. 25 to Jan. 5.

So Happy Twixmas everyone! I’m watching Netflix until the 31st. Then I might put something shiny on and venture out of the house. Or maybe I’ll wait until the 2nd.