Last year as many of you know I started to give up on the idea of christmas altogether. I had grown sick and tired of the Christmas spirit and just didn't want to celebrate anymore. Now the word spirit in this instance represents qualities regarded as forming the definitive or typical elements in the character of a person, nation or group. I know that in the hearts and minds of most people, this spirit is the closeness to family, the need to do good, and the joy of sharing that we seem to feel around the holiday season. When Christmas is put this way it sounds pretty wonderful, but let us not forget the commercial juggernaut that chugs along behind this clouded vale. It is this monster the rides so many families into credit card debit, and reinforces the idea that love for someone else can be expressed in an item wrapped tight with a bow, or a Holiday card(let us not forget to be P.C. either) flush with cash. I couldn't stand reading anymore about Black Friday, and hearing Christmas music on the radio before Thanksgiving. But most importantly I hate, nay, loath Santa and the cultural phenomena he has created... I am done with Christmas, it stops here and now. Please let me explain.
Santa to me represents the worst of the worst of the holiday spirit. His helpers are in shopping mall centers and his likeness sits on Walmart shelves. Our praise for him each year grows larger and larger on suburban lawns, wasting more and more of our precious energy so that someone can ultimately clam once again "mine is bigger than yours." His visits our houses and seems to always leave the best of the best of our cookie stock gone with the wind, and has the nerve to call people ho ho ho's. The fat man runs his regime with and iron fist, he has elf slave labor that even third world countries don't agree with, and holds the gavel of judgment on who is naughty and nice, leaving the losers with a big old sock of coal. And the worst thing is... he isn't real.
When I was younger, Santa was the main man, the guy who gave me the coolest stuff (by the way thank you Mom and Dad) and the guy who somehow made me go to sleep early on Christmas eve, even though I was hoped up on sugar and hot coco. However once we grow up and realize that Santa isn't really, shouldn't we scratch our heads and ask why the ruse? What is the game here, and why are we playing. In my mind Santa is the apathy of many, and the daemon of even more. Not being a parent myself I cannot fully understand the logic behind telling kids that Santa is real, but I wonder if it helps justify the over spending and frenzy that many feel during Christmas time, its not me giving my kid everything he wants, its Santa.
Okay I know this is all a little bizarre and I have no idea how this blog is going to read but bear with me for one more thought and it should be made clear. I said that Santa represents the apathy of many and here is my justification. We have a man, a myth, a legend of a dude who lives at the North Pole and has flying reindeer. He is able to make all the toys, that we can buy, and in one night deliver them to all the children of the world without being seen. He doesn't have to spend money, cause he has his elves, so it is all out of the goodness of his heart; and of course he is only giving the gifts to the good boys and girls who deserve the presents. Isn't this wish of being able to effect everyone, well only kids in this instance, what makes Santa so appealing.
I would suggest that we all could, and can have a similar effect on all people, not just kids this time, but we choose not to for one reason or another. What if every present you ever got was not given to you, but instead spent on a child or family that was truly in need. The smallest amount of money these days can provide food and medicine for hundreds of people a larger amount of money can help someone start a company and create there own income. Your own time and energy can help educate and inform people of dangers of all types and also help to inspire people to change. What if people didn't go into debt on gifts for people they already love and instead they spent within their means to help people for the first time. would the gratification be less in some way? This does not only apply to gifts but also the other things, like the global energy crisis, why do we need to see others change before we ourselves do the right step. I am talking not only about individuals here but governments. Why not be the first to say we are going to do everything in our power to make the world a better place, let us put of differences aside and embrace the fact that we are all human, and there is only one place for us to live. We turn a blind eye to the ailments of the world because it is easier that way. Many think they don't need to change because it wont effect them. But we must look past ourselves to the future of our race. Let us not create and endorse an idea founded on denial and ignorance. There is no reaction with action, let us all make the first push.
With all my love to everyone, not just those close to me.
Jake
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4 comments:
You make many really valid and profound points in your anti-Santa blog. But...
Christmas is also wonderful music, family traditions, and tiny twinkling lights (yes, still energy-drainers, but so lovely).
I absolutely agree that Christmas is overdone, over-commercialized, and out of hand. I think our family has really done well in cutting way back, and making the holiday more about intangibles, than tangibles.
I also agree that we should help those around us who truly are in need - and not just at Christmas.
It may be possible to find a balance and still enjoy the season.
Thanks for your thoughts!
You were missed on the family trip!
-Aunt Deb, who can't recall her password
Ho-ho-hold it! Is this the same legomaniac who yearned for the newest big theme sets and proudly wrapped up home made school art projects as gifts to his parents? Hung the star on the top of the tree and like the Bumble in the Rudolf special ("look what he can do!") was as proud as could be?
I know you know that I know ("he always knows!") that much of your thoughts are on target but that only covers the negative aspects...for those that chose and choose to oil the Christmas machine, the positives must outweigh the negatives. I feel the "meaning" of Christmas, which nearly eluded Charlie Brown and transformed the Grinch (ok, so I'm feeling nostalgic for the TV specials) is just that: an extra chance to be positive. I don't have the facts at hand, but I'd guess charity increases at year end, people end grudges, profess love and attempt to make their corner of the world a better place. Wrap it in paper, or cloak it in religion, it's a dose of Positve Energy nonetheless. I think people DO find enough special moments amongst the bustle to get on board the Holiday Train year after year.
Many now are thinking outside of the (gift) box, openly embracing new traditions, decreasing materialism and finding ways to expand the spirit into a way of being.
Hope you find unique ways to keep seeing the positive and spread "Christmas joy" or any other flavor of joy the whole year through...
I'll end by sharing a message from a seasonal card that had an image of The Big Red Man and the words, "Naughty?...Nice?...who am I to judge?"
Sounds like a good platform...
- Santa
Jake, I hope that you can find the balance and enjoy the season for it's merits rather than it's shortcomings. There is much to appreciate and enjoy. The family, traditions and yes the true meaning of Christmas without the glitz and commercialism. A feeling of peace, joy and love. I know there is a lot of love and sharing at this time which is all good. Keep the positive, loving position. Merry Christmas!
Hi Jake,
I agree with you about the hearing music before it's time, which is one of the main reasons I avoid certain stores and radio stations during those times.
Christmas began as a symbol of the three gifts given by the three wise men, to the baby Jesus (a child), so is religion to blame, the Bible maybe?
I want you to think about this too, many people who go into debt during the holiday season do so not only to give to their families but to give toys to those children that do not have any because they've had to leave them behind, like the Hope House, or donate to Toys for Tots to help those in need.
Yes it has become commercialized and we can lay some of the blame on the richer people of society because they make it so a kid feels terrible about him or her -self if he/she doesn't have the biggest and best gadgets or gets razzed because he/she is the only one without a cellphone. I could go on and on.
The biggest reason the true meaning of Christmas is lost is because of social inequalities which leave many kids to be parented by TV commercials, malls, Internet Ads and other forms of advertising because the parents are so busy working two to three jobs just to make ends meet. There are also people who had kids not because they really wanted to but felt family and/or societal pressures to do so and wind up resenting the child or leaving it with a nanny. They wind up feeling guilty and want to "give until it hurts" because they couldn't give the most important necessity in the life of that child, their love and affection. It may not seem like a necessity, but study after study shows that a parent's love and affection is essential in promoting the health and well-being of a child as it grows from from an infant into an adult.
Giving to someone in need has to be more than just giving money toys or time, but passing on good judgment, morals and ethics.
There is one thing that Black Friday does do that is positive, it ensures that the people who work for those companies have a paycheck so they can put food on their tables and clothes on their kids. We cannot forget the masses caught in between, that do just enough so their child does not feel like a leper and loses his all important self-esteem.
Others who go into debt during the holiday season do not have their priorities in the right order. You can't make someone change, but you can show them it can be done.
As for the light displays, I agree that they are energy users, but many people like to go look at them and many neighborhoods decorate collectively so that they can take donations for food shelters and such. The spirits of some people are raised in a positive way just by seeing light displays and having the chance to donate.
While there are many negative aspects to the season, there are positive nuggets for you to see, all you have to do is look. Remember, there is a Yin and Yang to everything, even if it is hard to see. If you need more positive and less commercial in your life during the holiday season and other times, then you need to find out how you can achieve that for yourself and write about what you do. The thing is that you must do these things for the true happiness of you and not just to prove a point. Someone will see what you do, or be on the receiving end of a kindness. When they say "thank-you" or ask how they can repay you tell them to "pass the kindness forward" and someone else however they can.
A bah-humbug attitude such as you have demonstrated in this blog, while you are welcome to it because it is yours, will not be something that makes someone want to do something for someone else because many times "actions speak louder than words".
We donate when we can and to different places every year. It's not much, but it's a start.
Food for thought:
Give a man a fish and he can eat for the day. Teach a man to fish and he can eat for the rest of his life." Maybe the key isn't paying money to help someone eat or start up a company, but give them the knowledge of how to grow food or how to make a business. Just because you give someone the start-up cost doesn't mean he/she will be successful.
About money in cards. The money is a gift and it is truly up to the receiver to do something with the gift that is given. He/She could choose to spend it, hide it, save it or invest it. What happens next depends on what the individual chooses to do with the gift. There could be a wise choice or a foolish choice. The best choices are usually made when a lot of information is known.
I hope you've read every part of this response and take some time to reflect on it. I hope my viewpoint helps you in some way.
Be safe and take care!
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