Christmas - A Lost Tradition

When I was younger, I really looked forward to this time of year. Christmas decorations were everywhere and there was a feeling of festivity in the air. And generally, people just seemed to be in a better mood between Thanksgiving and the New Year.

Although this is still somewhat true, it has diminished considerably over the years. Instead of people feeling festive and euphoric, many feel nothing but stress. There are various reasons but there a few that stand out to me.

For one, the pressure to go out and spend, spend, spend has gotten out of control. I’m not sure when the primary goal of Christmas became gift exchanging. But that’s pretty much what it’s all about anymore. Just look at the overload of advertisements from the retailers during the Christmas season. Lexus even has one now….”Give that special person a gift that they’ll remember forever”. Are you kidding me? Who can afford to give a $60,000 car as Christmas gift?

And to make your kids happy on Christmas morning, you pretty much have to take a second mortgage out on your house. Video games, I-Pods, digital cameras, cell phones, etc. These things aren’t cheap. And it’s not like the kids will be satisfied with one of these gadgets. They want them all! And not only do they want them, they expect them.

To compound this problem, this is the time of the year where companies traditionally try to trim their expenses. Of course, this usually involves job cuts. For the past fifteen years, instead of feeling festive, I feel mostly anxiety. Never knowing if the company will send any or all of us a special “cost-cutting Christmas gift” is the primary reason for this.

I am not a politically correct person. So, it really ticks me off when I hear businesses and organizations refer to Christmas as "the holidays". The "Christ" in Christmas is there for a reason. What idiot decided that the word "Christmas" might be considered offensive? Frankly, I couldn't care less if someone finds it offensive. Deal with it. (I could go on and on about this, but I want to stay on my main point).

With all of this being said, here’s my biggest problem with Christmas today. Simply, it has lost its meaning. For those who might not know, the primary purpose of Christmas is to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Although December 25 is not necessarily the day Christ was born, nonetheless, it’s the day most Christians celebrate it.

Unfortunately, the birth of Christ has been overshadowed by the arrival of a fat guy in a red and white suit named Santa Claus. Ask any kid to expalin the meaning of Christmas. Most will tell you that it means that Santa Claus is bringing them boatloads of toys. And that’s pretty much it.

I’m not an overly religious person. But I just find Christmas in America to be so hypocritical anymore. Jesus is the reason for the season. So, why isn't He the primary focus? I don’t think that overindulging each other in expensive gifts was part of the original plan.

I’ll end on a positive note. If there is one thing I still like about Christmas, it’s that people tend to treat each other nicer. And I do believe that this was part of the original plan. If we can do it for one day, how about we try to do it everyday?

I hope everyone has a safe and very Merry Christmas……

KW