Based only on the way we like to celebrate Christmas, it’s a bit amazing that my wife and I have managed to stay married for more than three decades. After all, my wife and I are just about polar opposites when it comes to the holidays.

If one were to look only at all the things I do not enjoy doing at Christmas, one might conclude that I’m just a step above old Ebenezer Scrooge when it comes to observing Christmas, but that would be inaccurate. There are many things I love about this time of year — the carols, the church cantata, the awesome Christmas Eve service, watching my favorite Christmas movies and a “Charlie Brown Christmas” on TV, etc.

It’s the Christmas decorations that I have little interest in seeing or putting up, and whether it is December or May or September, I hate to shop unless it is for food or tools.

In contrast to me, my wife loves to decorate our home for the holidays. Out of necessity, I provide her with a minimal amount of assistance.

Christmas at the Cannon household usually begins with the “unfolding of the tree” on Thanksgiving, but this year we brought the tree down from the attic on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. As always I unfolded the branches and placed them on the tree, while my wife put the lights on as I complete each layer.

Beyond that, I did nothing. I don’t enjoy trimming the tree. Therefore, I don’t do it. If it were up to me, we probably would not even put up a tree, but of course, it’s never been up to me.

My wife loves the Festival of Trees and Trains at the Paramount each year, and this year, she convinced me to go. The last time I had been to the Festival of Trees was when it was in the Mayo Mansion, which was then home to the Kentucky Highlands Museum.

I went to the Festival of Trees this year to listen to two singers I like: Steve Free and Bronson Bush. I listened to them while the rest of the family looked at the trees. Most of the trees I never even glanced at, which my daughter insists makes me something like the Grinch. But I’m not the Grinch. I just have no interest in looking at decorated trees.

My wife not only takes in the annual tour of Christmas homes, but she volunteers to be one of the guides for the tour. While she and my daughter toured the homes, son-in-law and I watched football with the baby. Everyone was happy.

So what do I like about Christmas? Well, if I don’t see “Miracle on 34th Street,” “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Story,” I don’t feel like it’s Christmas. A month ago, I saw “Miracle” on the big screen at the Paramonut Arts Center, and plan to see “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Paramount this Sunday. It marked the first time I had ever seen “Miracle” on anything larger than a TV screen. What a treat!

Because my work schedule has made it difficult for me to regularly go to practice, I no longer sing in the choir. That’s no big loss to our church’s music program, but I do miss it. While I experienced our church cantata Sunday from the pews, I enjoyed it and wished I had been able to sing in it. Maybe next year.

There is something else I like about this time of year: On Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, my wife and I attended Christmas dinners for (in order) Hatcher school where my wife is a part-time reading instructor; our Sunday school class; the Boyd County Public Library, where my wife is on the board of trustees; and Cyrus Chapel United Methodist Church, where I used to pastor.

That’s a lot of eating, and to me a good meal, with great fellowship is just about the closest thing to heaven on Earth you can get.

Let others trim the tree, fight the crowds at the mall and waste money things or they can’t afford. To me, that’s not what Christmas is about. Just pass the turkey, dressing and gravy, read the familiar Christmas stories from Matthew and Luke and let me spend hours just enjoying the company of friends and family members. To me, that’s Christmas.

JOHN CANNON can be reached at jcannon@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2649.