A Very Meow-y Whatever!

It always tickles me when people ask me whether I celebrate Christmas or not. I guess it’s because I’m Asian and grew up in Tokyo. Although Christmas isn’t a national holiday in Japan, people there do absolutely celebrate it. One time-honored tradition is “Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii,” which literally means “Kentucky for Christmas.” It refers to the custom of ordering special KFC Christmas buckets. Because nothing says holiday cheer like fried chicken from KFC.

I attended the American School, where we of course, celebrated Christmas by making misshapen Christmas cards for our parents and producing obligatory Christmas plays for slightly shell-shocked friends and family. At home, since my father was an atheist and my mother a Christian, they split the difference by buying the biggest Christmas tree they could find. My brother and I were in charge of trimming it. We had a black cat at the time who left the ornaments entirely alone. Maybe because he was a respectful Japanese cat (by birthright, not breed) who would never dream of vandalism.

But not so my current crop of cats, the Dreamweavers, also known affectionately (debatable) as the Land Sharks for their voracious appetites. They are not ones to leave any decorative tree alone, attended or not. If they could crush, break, tear down, and destroy any ornament, they absolutely would, to teach us a spiritual lesson. What that is, eludes me at the moment. But the sentiment is most definitely appreciated.

Our compromise was to put up a small artificial tree with lights only and a single tight white ribbon (nothing dangly) at the top. This year, we have added two simple decorations to the minimalist branches that my niece gifted: a cat butt ornament and a slasher cat bearing a bloody cleaver. Our cats are leaving those alone. In fact, they’re staying away from the tree altogether, except for Nebula who occasionally parks underneath it to declare that she is a gift to the world. Bless her heart.

So if you’re spending today in pajamas (no shame in that, I barely got out of mine), if you’re questioning the life choices that led to assembling a 57-piece vegan charcuterie board, or you’re curled up with a cat who thinks you’re a heated mattress with opposable thumbs—you’re doing it exactly right.

I’m composing this message not just for Christmas, but for….whatever. No pressure. No expectation. Wherever you might be, whether it’s winter or summer, whether you’re with family, friends, alone, or on the clock, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re here reading this post. And that you and I took this moment to purr, to paws, and to reflect.

From all of us at Alchemy of Meow,

May your days be merry, your snacks satisfying, your naps uninterrupted, and your emotional support cats extra fluffy.