Famous quote by Garrison Keillor

"A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together"

About this Quote

The phrase evokes the unique character of Christmas as both an unavoidable and collective experience. By comparing Christmas to a thunderstorm, Garrison Keillor captures its inevitability and its power to envelop everyone, regardless of individual intentions or preferences. A thunderstorm cannot be willed away; it sweeps across neighborhoods, compelling everyone to experience the same weather for a time. Similarly, when December comes, the season insists on its presence. Streets are lit, music drifts into every store, and the rituals, decorating, gathering, exchanging gifts, surround us all. Even those who do not celebrate in religious or traditional senses feel the impact; offices close, public spaces transform, schedules shift. There is subtle compulsion to acknowledge or participate, whether in outward festivity or private acknowledgment.

Yet, Keillor’s choice of the word “lovely” tempers this compulsion with a sense of warmth. Compulsory experiences often feel burdensome or irksome, taxes, responsibilities, but here the shared aspect brings comfort rather than irritation. The compulsory nature is a source of unity; everyone becomes linked by participation in the same enduring rituals. If a thunderstorm draws neighbors to the window, watching as nature unfolds over all, then Christmas marshals the world for a short period into a congregation of shared customs and anticipation. This togetherness is key, the season invites both joy and challenge, but nobody faces it completely alone.

The quote suggests that fundamental to the meaning of Christmas is not merely celebration, but collective endurance and enjoyment. The inconveniences, crowded shops, extra duties, the omnipresence of carols, become points of connection, reminders of what people weather together. No one can exempt themselves entirely; the season passes over everyone, and there is a certain beauty in that communal passage. The loveliness is in the universal experience, its compulsory nature ensuring that, for a while, everyone shares in the same thunderous, dazzling holiday spell.

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About the Author

USA Flag This quote is written / told by Garrison Keillor somewhere between August 7, 1942 and today. He/she was a famous Writer from USA. The author also have 23 other quotes.
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