(Transcription for Audio Podcast)
Well, at least I am not alone folks, up until this very moment I was feeling like maybe I was the only one missing the Christmas feeling. I can’t find it, like I used too and if I do I feel guilty that I might be offending someone who doesn’t celebrate it. Then, I read this story from a fellow writer and it renewed my faith in this thing we call the holiday season, Christmas. It is from a writer by the name of, John Lillpop and he wrote a story called; Merry X-Mas? Not in My House! And it talks about the word Christmas and its use or better yet, extinction of. You know, how we have totally unwrapped it and re wrapped it in a shinny, flashy commercial wrapper, with branding from all the major sponsors of the holiday season like (insert your favorite stores here:). The whole idea of his angle is, as a person of faith and growing up at a time where tradition was stronger than commercialism. He seems to think that the Christmas part of Christmas has lost the CHRIST part, and I agree with him, well in a non-religious way.
Now, if you remember the comments I did a week or so back, well even if you don’t, well I will tell you about them. I talked about the fact that people don’t want to say Merry Christmas because it may offend those that are not of that faith. We now say Happy Holiday and that way it encompasses any and all that fall to celebrate in that period of the season.
John Lillpop grew up in the 50’s and some of the best Christmas music and movies came from that time. I wish for the sake of seeing what did happen back then, that I was alive at that time. I grew up in the 70’s and what I can tell you was the magic of Christmas rang through my home, BUT not in a baby Jesus sort of way. My father was VERY NON-religious type of person. However, our Christmases were filled with lots a of lights and decorations all over the inside and outside of our home. Come to think of it, back then, it seemed like every house on your block and every house in the city you lived in was deck out to the nines that is just what folks did.
Now mind you, I lived in the Chicago suburbs and we did get a lot of snow, which gives you a real good head start when it comes to setting the scene. But all the same, it is what we did for the season, no questions asked. Now, I think John and I are saying the same thing. THE SPIRIT of Christmas is being shoveled away and replaced with a commercialized balling bling holiday season and the only thing left that is joyous and merry is the drink that Starbucks has produced with eggnog and Mac Donald’s holiday happy meals.
In the past 20 years or so, the big retailers have convinced us that Christmas is really just the best shopping time of the year and it is. They created it, marketed it as that. They replaced HO HO HO with a sale sale sale. I remember the first time I saw that Good Will replaced the bell ringing Santa, I was devastated and every since then I have told the bell ringers that if you would dress up like Santa I would give you a hundred dollars. They just give me an odd look.
No Santa, no Christ, and no real reason we recognize the season, other than to buy and go into debt. The next time you are out say happy holidays to a few folks, see what they say. Let me know what you come up with. Most of the time it will be a grunt or an uncomfortable nod of the head, from both parties involved. Why do we have this holiday? My birthday comes – I turn one year older, my anniversary comes – I celebrate the date we meet, Christmas comes – hmmm what I am celebrating?
Well, if I am religious, I celebrate Christ being born. If I don’t I guess I am hoping Santa will come. No, we don’t believe in him anymore. I know, it is America we all have the right to celebrate what Christmas means to us. I am just getting confused, what should I call my Christmas tree? Christmas has been a part of our country for hundreds of years; I mean the modern day Christmas, not back in the manger thousands a years ago Christmas. You know Bing Crosby, “White Christmas,” making snowmen; over decorating, wearing Santa hats … we are missing the reason for the season. The spirit.
We are so guarded now with what we say that we are really saying nothing. It is so bad that if you sing the song “White Christmas” you run the risk of offending anyone who isn’t white, so should we say Caucasian? Can’t say Christmas it has to be holiday, so the sound becomes Caucasian holiday, “I am dreaming of a Caucasian holiday?” Hmmmm, all of the songs we sing and love to sing as part of the season all have the use of that word, with a few exceptions.
Do you think we can just go back to the way it use to be? I want to be able to say Merry Christmas without someone staring at me as if I just told them their mother is ugly. I am not defending religious folks; I am defending tradition and culture.
Now, I know I will probably get emails on this one telling me that I am not respecting folk’s beliefs. I am whatever you believe in your heart when you say Merry Christmas is always going to be in your heart that will never change. But if I want to dispute this, you are really just proving my point. So Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all and to all a good night.
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Source: The Student Operated Press
