Merry and Happy and No Refunds Without a Receipt

Once again I’m relieved about just how easy it is to make it through the winter holidays here in Spain. You could almost go without realizing that they are upon you as most businesses don’t take any notice, none, no decorations, nothing.  About the only dose of Christmas I get is the music in the supermarket and other than that there is little else to annoy even a non-believer like me. I think most of this is due to the fact that franchise businesses play such a minor part in the lives of the Spanish.  I remember asking someone at a Starbucks in the USA about when they began their Christmas blitzkrieg. “November first, but that’s retail for you.” I thought we decided at Nuremberg that "everyone else is doing it" is no defense? I’ve not bought even a single gift this year and have barely made any attempt to acknowledge that the holiday season is here. Some would probably find this to be sad but for me it’s positively exhilarating not to be bombarded by the forces of marketing.

I’m not a Christian so there is nothing in the way of a religious meaning to the "season." If I were religious I think this time of year would annoy the living shit out of me or at least insult the living shit out of me.  

If the holiday spirit runs over you like a steamroller in the USA here in Spain it’s more like a speeding moped flashing by.  You could miss if you weren’t paying close attention. Just New Year’s to make it through now which is no problem at all.