Don’t you just love the holidays?
It must have been a week ago, when I was walking around the stores of the Battlefield Mall and noticed a young boy around the age of nine years on the floor, crying his poor heart out. His parents were right beside him patting him to get up. I could clearly see their frustration, but they were too helpless about the situation and all the curious eyes around. Which leads to the question; What do you think about this phenomenon known as the holidays? Should I tell my child to believe in Santa? Should I raise his expectations with bigger gifts each year? Should I stop emptying my pockets at the stores that make me accumulate more debt? Too bad we can’t avoid that headache.
We spend so much time looking for the perfect gift, looking for sales thinking that we are getting bargains, but in reality we may be paying the same price without a sale; and after all that, we either get a gift that we don’t like, or better yet we give a gift that someone else hates.
I personally hate December. I can’t stand all the congestion in the stores, it drives me nuts looking for a parking, I hate it that we remember the poor and homeless for two weeks, and after that we forget about them until the next December. And don’t forget the crying children in the mall that want their parents to buy them gifts for Christmas.
I usually blame it on culture shock, but it’s really very simple, I didn’t grow up with a tree or the countless gifts. I grew up knowing Christmas was when our family came together with our extended clan for a good meal and lots of laughter and fun. And when they left, you’d say, “That was fun I can’t wait for next year”. Therefore, I find the expectations that are imposed on me very overwhelming.
While Decembers make me sick, Christmas is the one day that I love; the birth of Jesus Christ is what every Christian loves to celebrate. I just love the emotions brought about on this day and enjoy the simplicity of the moment. Christmas day signifies that January is right around the corner, hence more sun than gloom.
I agree with you that we tend to get caught up in the shopping and the gifts. People go crazy over things like that this time of year. I personally love Christmas because of my family's traditions. Every year, we decorate a real tree, make Christmas goodies, and watch Christmas movies together (The Grinch is my favorite). On Christmas Eve, we go over to my grandma's house for great food and a great time. The most important part to me, though, is that everyone is so happy. Its hard to be mad at Christmas. That is what I look forward to every year.
ReplyDeleteI really like your take on the American Christmas, and I can definitely say that I have a few of the same frustrations. I feel like a lot of individuals are beginning to pare down for the holidays and concentrate on what's really important to them, whether that be celebrating the birth of Christ or simply spending time with family and friends. I agree that Christmas Day is the best part, because you get to forget about all the craziness of the holiday season.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you - the only reason I like Christmastime is because of the time I spend with my family. Me and my mom decorate our tree every year together; we watch the movies together. We just enjoy each other's company, and it's always been a special time of traditions and togetherness that gets ruined the moment someone starts expecting great things out of you. I remember one Christmas that it was almost ruined by my dad being in a sour mood about one of the gifts that ended up getting taken back. It was the worst, and he was pointlessly mad. It's all about spending time together. Who cares about what's in the packages, anyway?
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