{12 Posts of Christmas}: 9 Things I Dislike About Christmas
9 Things I Dislike About Christmas
Call me Scrooge if you wish, but there are some things about Christmas that I just simply dislike. Not because of the holiday itself, but because of what people have made of it and traditions that just shouldn’t be traditions, in my opinion. Bah humbug.
9.) Fruitcake. Really? Who comes up with the idea of a cake made from molasses, nuts and jellied cherries, dates, raisins, and prunes? Or worse… Who really enjoys getting and eating fruitcake for Christmas? I will admit that there are practical many uses for a fruitcake. For example, keep one underneath your pillow for self defense. Donate them to your local airport for use as airplane wheel blocks. Sink a few in the ocean in the ocean and start your own artificial reef! But really, I refuse to put it into my stomach. Obviously.
8.) Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. If you are not familiar with all of the lyrics of this song, go look them up. Most people simply know the chorus, and I will admit that is it catchy and gets stuck in your brain, but songs like these are not worth playing multiple times a day on the radio. There is no point to it, there really is no humour to it for those of us who have lost love ones around Christmastime, and anyone who writes an entire four-minute song on the subject of grandma being being murdered by Santa’s sleigh obviously been drinking too much eggnog (just like grandma!).
7.) Mistletoe. Firstly, the entire concept of mistletoe and the story behind it was derived from the druid celebration of winter solstice. That aside, I feel, if you’re really in love and feel obliged to kiss someone, you shouldn’t wait until the opportune moment to stand underneath a twig. And I don’t feel that if you are caught underneath the mistletoe with someone, you should feel obliged to kiss them. Maybe I just don’t understand because I’ve never been kissed under the mistletoe and have no intentions to ever be. I also find it ironic that that, when ingested, mistletoe is actually poisonous and causes acute gastrointestinal irritation such as intense stomach pains which create butterflies in your stomach. Daw. How cute.
6.) Excessive Christmas decorations. You know those houses in the neighborhood that you could see from outer space? The ones that have every single shrub wrapped with lights? Or the houses that have the “Santa’s Sleigh 2000″ in their front yard, complete with 12 inflatable reindeer and Santa Clause? I love decorating. I love the way the lights glisten on the snow, but when people overdo decorations, it just looks tacky. In my opinion, simple is better (and cheaper too!).
5.) Eating to excess. Eggnog. Pumpkin pie. Christmas cookie cutouts. Oh, Christmas, why does it have to be so tasty? Roast beef. Turkey slices with cranberry sauce. Baked Cheesecake. Chocolate-covered nuts. Steak. Sausages. Roast Vegetables. Goodness knows how much food the average American eats between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. Do we really need to eat to excess during this time just because it is Christmas? Just because the food is good and it’s tradition? We eat until we feel sick and our stomachs are bloated, when there are people around the world who are sick and have bloated stomachs because they don’t have anything to eat…
4.) Loneliness. While a lot of the previous posts have been in jest, these next couple certainly are not. I reflect upon those people around the world who are alone on Christmas. Those who are estranged from their families. Those who have lost their loved ones. Those who are overseas and cannot be home for the holidays. It saddens me to think that, for some, Christmas is a most painful and miserable time of year. There is no laughter in broken households. There are no presents under the trees for the underprivileged. There is no hope found in the birth of Jesus Christ. And how sad is it that even in the midst of our own joy and love, these people are so often forgotten and not reached out to or cherished or shown the light that shone so brightly on that Christmas day in Bethlehem.
3.) Happy Holidays. It saddens me and breaks my heart to think of how misconstrued our culture has warped the meaning behind Christmas. Especially to the point where it is now politically incorrect to call it Christmas at all. The irony, I find, in taking “Christ” out of “Christmas” and replacing it with “Happy Holidays,” is that you’re not even removing Him at all. Go back to the word entomology of the word Holiday. “1500s, earlier haliday (c.1200), from O.E. haligdæg ‘holy day; Sabbath.’” So if you want to be politically correct, calling them holidays in general is still technically religious and Christian, as it refers to the Old Testament Hebrew festivals… so why does that not offend? The Buddhists have their Vesek. The Muslims have Ramadan. The catholics have Lent. Everyone else has Mardi Gras. Why strip Christmas of the very reason it exists?
2.) Consumerism/Materialism. I hate the mall at Christmas. (Not that I really like the mall any other time of the year…) But nothing makes me more frustrated than the “Me” focus in our culture around Christmastime. Everything is on sale! You can buy this much and save so much more! You need to buy gifts for everyone in your life. Your husband, your best friend, your little Chihuahua, and still have a little cash leftover to treat yourself to the gifts you deserve. It breaks my heart to think of how materialistic of a people we have become. We so eagerly ignore all of our many blessings around this time of year, because there is always something more to be bought and to have. That’s not what Christmas is about. It’s about cherishing the things that we have. It’s about being grateful for the things that really matter. No amount of presents under the tree will lead to lasting joy and satisfaction.
1.) The lack of focus on Christ. As stated in the past couple points, it saddens me to think that our culture has stripped away the true meaning behind Christmas. Yes, family, friends, love, joy, peace… these things are important. But honestly, nothing is as important as that baby in the manger, the Saviour of the world come on that night in Bethlehem. Nothing matters but Emmanuel, the angels proclaiming the worship that He deserves, the shepherds bowing humbling down to the King. And so much is lost in Christmas without Jesus Christ. The joy is only surface deep. It only lasts for a season and quickly fades as New Year’s rolls around. But Jesus Christ, the Saviour King, knowing Him is the greatest joy that permeates every depth of our very being and will last for all eternity.
