A cultural thing I suppose
I don't remember Christmas being celebrated as a child because 1) I'm not Christian & my parents weren't (& still aren't) the kind to indulge "Western cultural ideologies" & 2) I don't think anyone in my circle of friends ever did!
However, I do remember when I was very young, we would go to Meikels in Bulawayo to see their Christmas display, and we'd go to Centennial Park because they'd have all these beautiful fantasy displays (gnomes, fairies and the like) around X-mas time. After that we lived in smaller villages where there really wasn't much going on at any time of the year! And then in my teens my friends did celebrate X-mas - by going to midnight mass. Living in a desert doesn't offer much scope for fragrant trees and snow to usher in chritmasy feelings
So I never got into the tree, gift giving, carol singing happiness till we moved to Canada. And even now, I spend time at my friend's place when I do & her house is an explosion of Joy & Good Cheer
This year I'm determined to join in and transform the place with tinsel, a fake tree and pine scented candles!