It’s confession time again for yours truly. This time ‘round, I’m venting about Christmas. Here’s a big surprise - I don’t like it. I haven’t looked forward to the Christmas season for a long time. It isn’t due to the religious implications of this time of year. I can handle hearing about the birth of Christ; I actually find it to be rather inspirational. No, the reason I despise Christmas is the intrusion of this holiday on every aspect of our society for a period of a month and a half.
From between Black Friday and New Years Eve, there is this unrealistic expectation that everyone should be in good cheer. We’re suppose to maintain this attitude while listening to the same repetitive music in every public venue and spending copious amounts of money on gifts. To make matters worse, everyone in the whole country is competing for the same gifts, leading to traffic jams, over worked sales clerks, irate customers, and fist fights over toys that will most likely be broken before the end of January. Even if you had managed to get your Christmas shopping done early, you still have to deal with the influx of Christmas commercials, mindless news casts covering the Christmas rush, massive decorating projects, sending out Christmas cards, and wrapping the presents for Christmas day.
Is it any wonder that there’s a Christmas Resistance Movement? Buy Nothing Day? Call me a scrooge if you must, but I think Christmas is a waste of time, money, and energy. There’s nothing spiritual about these material things and nothing special about this one day out of the year.
My wife is attempting to break me out of my funk in regarding to this holiday season. She has offered me an alternative that I’m seriously thinking about implementing; a new family tradition. This tradition would de-emphasize the importance of gift giving and reinforce Christmas as a celebration of family. That is, after all, what the story of Jesus’s birth is about; the completion of one man and one woman by the inclusion of a child. Nothing could be more special.
So I’m left with thinking about the possibilities of what this new tradition would include. It should be fairly obvious what I believe should be left out… Is it too much to ask that a spiritual holiday be about spirituality? I want to hear your ideas on what the Christmas season should be and how it could be.
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November 26th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
I agree - Christmas is about spending time with family. And every year for as long as I can remember I’ve always looked forward to wrapping up on the couch with my family and watching Frosty the Snowman or Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. The movies transport me back to my own childhood, and I feel the same peace and joy I did watching those same timeless movies with my parents.
I’m really glad I don’t have to wait for them to come on TV this year. Now they’re together in a limited collector edition DVD box-set — all 7 Christmas Classics and a bonus music CD containing 7 favorite holiday songs! I only know about it because I work with the company, but you can buy it wherever you do your Christmas shopping. This is something my family and I will treasure for many holiday seasons to come. Maybe this is what your mom has in mind?
November 27th, 2007 at 12:27 am
Hello Jan!
My Mom? Do you mean, by any chance, my wife?
Yes, I think this is pretty close to what she means… minus the limited collector edition DVD box-set. One of my fondest memories is learning to play poker with my Aunts and Uncles. It’s this kind of thing that Christmas should be about - creating memories.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:51 am
Hmm, you sound a little Scrooge to me. I can understand the desire to reconnect with what made Christmas the best for you when you were a child. I’ve decided to do a handmade Christmas this year. I’m making pot holders, some crochet toys, dishclothes, I’ve made someone a cross stitch picture (it’s a little evil). I’m looking forward to sharing something I love with the people I love. And if you want to find out how much of a Scrooge your are check out this fun quiz! http://www.quizlee.com/scrooge It’s great for a laugh at what can be a stressful time of year.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
Hello Monkey!
A Scrooge quizz? Bah - Humbug… Yes, I actually took the quiz. According to the quiz, I’m only 22% scrooge. I think the quiz is inaccurate. ;-).
December 4th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
I was never a huge fan of Christmas; all that commercialization makes me want to hurt something. Maybe Wal-Mart, maybe Macy’s. Then my second daughter was born on Christmas Eve and died on the 28th. Christmas just kind of sucks now.
On the other hand, I love singing all the Christmas songs. And watching the great Christmas movies like Die Hard, Die Hard 2 and Scrooged.
And I’m only 35% scrooge. The quiz is seriously flawed.
December 4th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
I’m convinced that Wal-Mart is the Antichrist… at least until something even more sinister comes along. No, no - even then I might have to stick with Wal-Mart.
In regards to your daughter, I would have to say that you probably have more right than anybody to be a Scrooge on Christmas… I don’t know you very well, but I do feel sad for your loss.
I hope to see you again on my blog. BTW: I have checked out your blog, but was unable to comment due to the fact that I don’t have a blogger account. I think the piece that you displayed on 11/28 is quite beautiful. I love the balance in the piece, as well as the contrast of Gold on Green.Thank you and Namaste.
December 6th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I’ll definitely be back, John!
I’ve always maintained that Microsoft (and Bill Gates, specifically) was the Antichrist, but I can see where Wal-Mart might be a serious contender. But I make my living in IT, so I’m going to have to stick with Microsoft.
Blogger is flawed, too, but it’s what I have on all my business cards. Happy that you like the artwork!
Namaste.