Seeping Matter

It is sad to admit that, more and more, I’m starting to approach the holiday season with feelings that are a mixture of anticipation, joy, dread, irritation, and frustration.
The anticipation and joy come from having time with family and remembering the birth, life, and atonement of Jesus Christ. It is certainly helpful to make a special effort every year to be more focused on remembering His coming, and to look forward to when he comes again.

The other feelings come from the fact that people are forgetting why we have Christmas in the first place.

First, the commercialism of Christmas has gotten out of control. We’ve gotten to the point that it doesn’t matter what we get for Christmas as long as we get more of it than someone else. I have family that insist on buying me a gift of a certain price point even when I tell them that I don’t need anything. What is the point of spending the money? I create a budget and budget for Christmas all year long, and then when the time comes to buy, I feel that I must spend the entire budget even if it is on junk that the recipient won’t really want.
This is one part of this season that I’m starting to dread – the complete waste of money. Money spent on things that will become the recipient’s trash before summertime comes around. It has become a season where people save all year so they can come before the big businesses and trade their money in for junk. What is wrong with us?

I am starting to despise the calculated messages in the media that are trying to cause us to forget why we have these holidays in the first place. These messages are even being taught to children. They tell us not to forget the reason for the season, at which point they inform us that the reason for the season is to be with friends and family, or to be kinder to our fellow men, or to marvel in the wonder of lights and decorations. They pitch the “hustle & bustle” of the holidays as exciting and fun, not irritating. I’ve even heard some of these messages suggest that the reason for the season is to receive gifts!
The reason for this season is entirely religious. I don’t care whether you are Christian or not. If you believe in Thor the thunder god, and celebrate him on August 10 (or whatever), just because I don’t believe in Thor doesn’t change the reason why you might celebrate on August 10. The reason for Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It does not matter whether you believe in him or not. It is a flat-out lie to suggest that the reason for Christmas is anything else, no matter how ennobling.

I’m frustrated because I want this to be a religious occasion. I’m upset that I worry about how many gifts a person is giving me, and that I have to give them the same number of gifts back, and for a similar monetary amount, even if the gifts are junk. It feels like it isn’t enough to give for the sake of giving. It feels like if I’m not giving my significant other a diamond ring or a new car I’m under-gifting. I hate that I feel like I work all year long to blow money on junk at the end of the year. And for what? Just so recipients can feel that I care – but not because of what I gave, but because of how much I gave and how much I spent.

I don’t know what to do about this exactly, but I don’t like it, and I feel justified in not liking it. I may do something drastic next year – like cut my Christmas budget.

I suppose most middle-class neighborhoods across the country are like mine, where every Christmas season the ladies in the neighborhood spend several hours stressing out about what type of goodies they are going to take around to their neighborhood friends, and trying to outdo each other with the cutest story to accompany their treats.
My wife had already decided to give cookies to everyone, and was trying to figure out what story to put with the cookies. I suggested the following story. I think it is a pretty good one.

The Christmas Cookie Who Did Not Believe In Santa Claus
Once upon a time, there was a batch of Christmas cookies. One of the Christmas cookies did not believe in Santa Claus. No matter what the other cookies said, this cookie still did not believe in Santa Claus.
“I don’t believe in Santa Claus,” the cookie said.
“How can you not believe in Santa Claus? Don’t you know that if you don’t believe in Santa Claus, he won’t bring you any presents?” the others replied.
“I don’t care. There is no such thing as Santa Claus.”
“Well, who is it that brings the presents on Christmas Eve?”
“Nobody. There is no way that Santa can bring presents to every house in the same time zone at 12:00 midnight.”
“Well, who is it that flies around delivering presents?”
“Nobody. There is no such thing as flying reindeer, and even if there were, eight reindeer could not possibly tow a sleigh that was big enough to hold all the toys for every boy and girl in the entire world.”
“Well, then how do all those presents get into people’s homes?”
“Who knows? But most people don’t even have a chimney. How could he get into the homes? And how is it that he is never arrested for B&E?”
“So you really don’t believe in Santa Claus?”
“Nope.”
“But you are a Christmas cookie!”
“Doesn’t matter. There is no such thing as Santa Claus.”
And this cookie held stubbornly to his belief clear up until Christmas Eve. That night, the children carefully took all of the other Christmas cookies out and put them on a plate, leaving him behind. Later that night, Santa Claus came and ate all the other cookies.

The End.