The start of December marks a time when society transforms, dedicating great effort and expense to lights, gifts, and endless menus, often set to the soundtrack of songs like "I és Nadal..." by Joan Dausà. This period is described by Miserachs as a "great social experiment" where family, tradition, food, and consumerism are forcibly combined.
The dilemmas begin with decorations, from the proliferation of street lights to the choice between a natural tree (which turns the dining room into a forest) or an artificial one. The columnist jokes about the "own personality" of Christmas lights, which fail in sequence, and the complexity of the nativity scene, where mismatched figures and an "exaggeratedly large shepherd" coexist with the search for the Caganer.
Christmas is unique, chaotic, brilliant, sentimental, exhausting, and absolutely endearing. It is a great emotional experiment aged in years and glitter.
The gastronomic inertia of the holidays leads to excessive consumption, from escudella (stew) to turrones (nougat), often accompanied by low-quality wine that fuels family debates. Regarding gifts, Miserachs defines it as a "high-risk sport," especially when recipients "do not need anything." The gift-opening moment becomes a "masterclass in emotional diplomacy" to disguise disappointment over a "horrible sweater," where the exchange receipt becomes the silent hero.
