One thing I feel sure of is that Philip loved Christmas. He probably dressed up as Santa Claus at some point which made Elizabeth seriously question, not for the first time, the KGB's choice to admit him into the program. And he can even really like the religious part, specifically because he gets that you can like the story without believing in God and not be any different than thousands of other Americans. Basically, this holiday--probably many holidays--are times when his compartmentalization works really well for him.
Elizabeth still can't get over the fact that Christmas lumps together two of the worst things about the US: sentimental religion and consumerism. So she's conflicted, but over the years she's disturbed to find she has a lot of happy memories of Christmas with the kids, even one time when she and Philip stayed up late putting together some damn toy that was way too complicated and at one point had the two of them joking that they wished the instructions came in Russian as well as English, Spanish and whatever else they came in. Now she regularly shops for her mother each Christmas in her mind.
This Christmas they're really together for the first time, maybe, and they're just happy to have not lost their family as they could have not so long ago.
The Jennings go over to the Beemans' house on Xmas eve. They had already seen each other at a school concert where Paige and Matthew performed (Paige in the chorus, Matthew with the band). Elizabeth fielded questions about her great aunt. Philip was a little late getting there because he had to spend the day with Martha.
Arkady surprised Nina with a little gift at Christmas and she keeps it out in her room because it reminds her how she made the right decision. She does not do the same with whatever Stan gave her for Christmas, which makes her feel a little guilty.
Philip also surprised Grannie with a little gift, because he knew it would kind of irritate her while still symbolizing the truce between them. Maybe it's another dog pin. He says Elizabeth picked it out because it reminded her of Claudia.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2013-12-23 05:52 pm (UTC)Elizabeth still can't get over the fact that Christmas lumps together two of the worst things about the US: sentimental religion and consumerism. So she's conflicted, but over the years she's disturbed to find she has a lot of happy memories of Christmas with the kids, even one time when she and Philip stayed up late putting together some damn toy that was way too complicated and at one point had the two of them joking that they wished the instructions came in Russian as well as English, Spanish and whatever else they came in. Now she regularly shops for her mother each Christmas in her mind.
This Christmas they're really together for the first time, maybe, and they're just happy to have not lost their family as they could have not so long ago.
The Jennings go over to the Beemans' house on Xmas eve. They had already seen each other at a school concert where Paige and Matthew performed (Paige in the chorus, Matthew with the band). Elizabeth fielded questions about her great aunt. Philip was a little late getting there because he had to spend the day with Martha.
Arkady surprised Nina with a little gift at Christmas and she keeps it out in her room because it reminds her how she made the right decision. She does not do the same with whatever Stan gave her for Christmas, which makes her feel a little guilty.
Philip also surprised Grannie with a little gift, because he knew it would kind of irritate her while still symbolizing the truce between them. Maybe it's another dog pin. He says Elizabeth picked it out because it reminded her of Claudia.