Christmas used to be so fun. Right after Thanksgiving the stores put up all their lights and trees. Then the TV shows started. Classics like “Merry Xmas Charlie Brown,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” And it wasn’t all cartoons. No sir. We would watch “A Christmas Carol” (the old black and white one where everyone had an English accent was the best) and, of course, “Its a Wonderful Life.” Hell even the Budweiser ads were great with those Clydesdales. Classic!!!
We’d go shopping downtown and then later at the malls when they became popular. (I always liked outside better). No matter though. Each place had a Santa. And they actually LOOKED like Santa (except most wore wing-tip shoes – a big give-a-way. No matter – we ALL knew that Santa sent his surrogates. After all, how could he be at EVERY store at once).
Christmas Eve was for wrapping gifts in secret. Going to church at night. Coming home and watching “Its a Wonderful Life” again. And going to bed early before Santa showed up and flew over.
Christmas morning started at 4 am. The gifts were great – even if the majority of them cost no more than $10.00. Later we would head to my grandmothers house. After that, to each of my aunts and/or uncles. It was family. It was Christmas.
I was lucky to continue those great traditions with my own family as I got older. My own kids were excited, waited at the top of the stairs for that big morning. They liked the same holiday shows as I did too. But they have gotten older…
Funny thing is, I do not recognize Christmas anymore. When I was a kid, October was reserved for Halloween. November was Thanksgiving. Christmas didn’t start till after Turkey Day. No way. Not now…I saw lights this year go up in September! I’m not kidding – September. Someone tried to convince me that the lights were for Hanukkah since it was early this year. Hanukkah lights on a tree with an angel on it? Really?
Forget about $10.00 gifts now too. We now go into severe debt paying for the latest techno-inspired phones, tablets, games or whatever. If you don’t , either the media or their friends will convince your kids that they are the victim of SEVERE child abuse.
And the TV shows? Garbage. Yeah, the old one’s are still around but they started playing them in mid-November this year. By the time the real “season” started, they were over and replaced with 1000 episodes of a Christmas Story (which I actually like – but really do we have to play it non-stop for a month?). Even “A Christmas Carol” was modernized (English accents were exchanged for North Jersey ones) I also think the Danes had the Clydesdales shot.
The family “get together?” Half of the people I know went to some island to sit on a beach. Others went skiing. (Well at least they opened presents before they went). The family events we did attend also involved everyone texting everyone else on their new smartphones.
In short, the Holiday Season (can’t call it the Christmas season anymore out of fear that SOMEONE gets offended) is now nothing more than a money-making, credit card maxing, soulless shell of it’s former self.
I was very bummed out about this change to Christmas. Where did it go? Then I started thinking. Christmas didn’t change. We did…
We quit being kids. Our own kids grew up.
We started spelling “Christmas” with an “X.” And it didn’t bother us…
We all made too much money or allowed our easy ability to get credit cards let us pretend that we did.
Family ceased being the MOST important cog in our wheel.
Our own vanity has taken the “Christ” out of Christmas and kicked him to the curb. (That includes me – I made every excuse NOT to go to church on Christmas Eve)
I think its time we change back. Before it’s too late. Next year, everyone is getting one present and one present only. A bell. Learned that one from the one current Christmas movie I actually like. I think you will figure it out.
Here is to hoping that everyone will be able to hear it ring again one day. During family dinner.