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Cindy Loo Who In October

What is it with people and Cindy Loo Who? Of my last one hundred blog hits, forty have been direct visits from regular readers, and fifteen have been as a result of people searching for "Cindy Loo Who," the little pixie from Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas. A couple of years ago, I posted an image of the original Seuss illustration as compared to the TV cartoon image, and for some reason, that post is bringing in the crowds, relatively.

Maybe it's the weather. It isn't even November yet, and already we've had frost and have had to dust off our winter coats. When it gets cold like this, I start to think about Christmasy things like listening to Nat King Cole and decorating the tree. It's ironic because I am offended when retailers start pushing holiday stuff early, but I don't mind my own private celebrations.

When my sister and I were much younger and still living with our parents, we would pick a day in July, close the curtains to darken the house, and stack up all the Christmas albums on the console stereo. My mother still has those old albums, and we play them when we visit her in December. July, I suppose, is a ridiculous time to listen to Christmas music, but late October when you can see your breath in the air and want to coil a knitted scarf around your neck isn't so extreme.

I have passed on my inclination to ease into Christmas mode earlier than some to Eustacia. Just the other day she mentioned she's begun listening to Christmas music and thinking about our traditions. Because we have a cathedral ceiling in our living room, we resorted to an artificial Christmas tree in order to have one large enough to fit the room proportionately. We set it up a couple of weeks before the big day while watching Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. Then we turn off the lights save the tree lights and watch our other favorites—A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Tell me how bad a mother I am. Eustacia has an opportunity to join college students for a week-long work trip to North Carolina in order to build a house or some such thing for a needy person. She was about to sign up when she realized it conflicts with the tree/Rudolph/Grinch tradition, and she would much rather be home for that. I should have encouraged her to get out there and do some good, but instead I said something like, "Awww. Come home."

I know all about the story of the nativity and the significance of the birth of Jesus, but over 2,000 years, Christmas celebrations have evolved to include homey feelings and Western symbols. It's not just goodwill toward men, but goodwill by the light of a sparkling Christmas tree. It's not just good tidings of great joy, but good tidings as told by Linus with his comforting blanket to his searching friend Charlie Brown.

So, I wonder about all these people suddenly searching for Cindy Loo Who. Are you looking for peace on earth a little early, or are you looking for peace of mind in unsettled times? Or maybe you're just eager for all the comforts of a nostalgic Christmas season.

Comments

Shan said…
That is a weird one Robyn. I wondered if it was because of your last post combined with the mention from way before but I don't actually know if they are caught in the same cache' (not really being able to wrap my mind around Google).

It does all happen earlier and earlier these days and that used to annoy me too, but anymore I find myself wanting to stretch Christmas out as long as possible in my head as well. We need comfort holidays and traditions so we can look back to a simpler time and think happy thoughts of yore.
( I just wish I found all of those kiddy shows as gripping as I once did. :)
It must be men looking for an Asian porn star.
dive said…
EEK!
Christmas starts on the morning of December 25th and finishes that night, Robyn.

You're scaring me.
"Awww, come home," is just perfect, Robyn. Ah. :)
savannah said…
i hope rich's reason isn't true, sugar, but it really funny!
Merry Christmas!

xoxoxo
Anonymous said…
I got here via Google, and it's because the Jim Carrey version of "The Grinch" is ABC (Fri. nite) and the actress who plays CLH looks familiar.

FYI.

Guess I'll be headin' over to IMDB now...
Anonymous said…
I am an elementary school teacher. Our school is doing a children's literature day, and we are encouraged to dress up as a character from one of the hundreds of stories, fables, etc. that our students will study. I was trying to find a picture of Cindy Loo Who because we are doing a unit on Dr. Seuss. At Christmastime, what could be more fun?! =) Thanks for posting the picture of the original Cindy Loo Who!
ShamrockJews said…
I'm starting to think about my daughter's Halloween costume and I am looking for original pictures of Cindy Loo Who instead of the new movie images. Ended up at your site. Thanks for sharing your ideas and old pics.

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