From about two weeks prior to Christmas, it's really hard to have good timing, isn't it? The same's true for Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or any other major holiday, but Christmas is a special case. When do you wish someone happy holidays? If you wish it too soon and see that person before the holidays, it's awkward for some reason and if you're at a party or something, it's unlikely you'll engage in any conversation at all. An ill-timed, pre-emptive Christmas wish seals off future Christmas wishing and sort of puts you in conversational quarantine. You can feel your insides churn when you say to yourself, "I really want to talk to Hank, but I can't because...ahhh....I already gave him his 'have a great holiday' wish. I...was...too...early." It's like you already said goodbye, but are sticking around like an expectant teenager, hoping your hormone high date will still kiss you before night's end, even though you keep saying goodbye and how much fun you had.
Post, or belated, Christmas wishing has a definite shelf life of about a week and comes with none of the baggage of pre-Christmas wishing. You can ask about the person's Christmas if you saw them each day after the holiday for a week and no one would think you weird. Pay attention to it. And be careful about who you're pre-wishing this holiday season.
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| He'd even go to the bottom of the ocean to get a ring for Brittany. |
-Profession: Alumni Relations Manager
-Favorite made-up excuse: I was napping, sorry.
-Jason is a cat on the BBC Series Blue Peter. If he and Garfield went on a trip together, what would happen?: They'd start in England and take the Chunnel to France. Once there, they would go and meet a Parisian chef who will teach them how to make gourmet lasagna.
-You absolutely love, love, love Brittany Spears. Please rank the following extreme situations from least qualms to most qualms you would have in saving her from the following situations:
-trapped in a collapsed mineshaft (3)
-surrounded by a circle of fire (1)
-10-sec away from being eaten by a shark (4) I don't think she has a chance here.
-on a tectonic plate during an earthquake (2)
-In your spare time, you enjoy watching all kinds of HGTV shows. If you and another person were in a price war for a house, what extreme measure would you take to get it?: I'd sabotage the home inspection with some planted mice so that my competitors would pull out of the bidding.
