Holiday Spirit?

Where is the holiday spirit these days? Sure there are festive decorations, Christmas parties, lights, and holiday cider, but I’m not talking about the commercial aspect rather the feeling of peace and happiness. All I’ve come across is stress and hostility. Christmas should bring out the best in everyone and that it does. If you consider getting into a cursing battle at the mall for a parking space, practically knocking each other over to grab that last sale item or even as extreme as killing another person. This year there were not just one, but several cases of people actually getting killed on Black Friday. I couldn’t even believe it when I saw it on the news, it truly blows my mind. I don’t understand how people can be so greedy and selfish, just to save a few extra bucks. What great model citizens we have here in America. People’s true character shines through during the holidays. I know we are experiencing an economic disaster right now, but you would have never known it by the way people were out in full force on the biggest shopping day of the year. Merry freaking Christmas, I hope you enjoy that new plasma TV I literally killed to get. It’s almost like a joke or something from a movie, but unfortunately it’s reality and I probably shouldn’t even laugh about it. I couldn’t imagine losing someone to a deathly holiday shopping accident. I really hope that present was worth taking a life for. Like a stampede of wild elephants attacking their prey is representable of our fellow citizens herding the aisles of every store in America. To my surprise, some stores even opened as early as midnight on Thanksgiving. So much for giving thanks and cherishing family on one day out of the entire year. It was about praying for good bargains to some people and camping out in line after scarfing down a piece of pecan pie.

I know that this even furthers my decision to NOT celebrate the gift part of Christmas this year and proven my point that Christmas isn’t what it use to be. Yeah I know very un-American of me to not go out and max out my credit card, so I can be in debt for the new year. Way to start it off right. My mom and I already agreed that we are going to go out and "do" things, enjoy each others company rather than spend money on gifts we probably don’t need or want in the first place. Memories are forever, gifts are for the moment.

Simplicity looks more and more enticing every year as our world and daily life gets more and more complicated. It has just become so ridiculous and people have gotten out of control. Peoples’ lives are so busy with a million things on their minds. We all just need to slow the hell down and enjoy the moment.

Christmas is becoming a gimmick and seems more like a burden to get gifts for everyone. People feel obligated to get each other gifts, because they think the other person will give them a gift. If you don’t get the other person a gift in return than it makes you look selfish and greedy. There is really no winning in this situation. I understand if it is something from the heart that represents someone or for the kids, but when we become adults it seems like more of a hassle than anything else. This is why we are so stressed during the holidays, when we should be relaxed and "in the holiday spirit." Which we often easily forget what that means. It is about being good to one another and thankful for family and friends. Cherishing everything we are lucky enough to enjoy and helping the less fortunate.

When I was younger, Christmas was the best time of the year, but then again I was just that: young and naive. All I needed was the newest toy and I was a happy camper. Now that I am older, I am more aware that it’s not just about getting a Wii or i-pod. It’s being thankful and blessed to have one another together. The true spirit of Christmas and the holidays are becoming ignored and neglected by materialism. It is becoming just another "Hallmark Holiday." Good for business bad for society and culture. Whatever happened to family traditions and values?

Instead of guessing what your in-law from the east coast wants, you should spend your time and money being more productive. Like volunteering at a local shelter or donating to the food bank. That is what the true Christmas spirit is about, making sure everyone has a nourishing meal and clothes on their back. I understand, easier said than done especially with the current state our economy is in and more families than ever living below the poverty line. But if everyone does their part and contributes in one way or another things can workout. Last year I served Christmas dinner at a local shelter and that was a fulfilling enough gift to me. Most of us just donate and volunteer during the holidays which is greatly appreciated by many and is often when needed the most, but what about the other eleven months of the year? Poverty doesn’t just occur one month out of the year unfortunately. We easily forget throughout the rest of the year to help others.

Back in the good ol’ days, as our grandparents would say, things were simple and people enjoyed the little things in life. But just like everything else, times change, and along with that so do people. As people change, customs, traditions and values also change. So just slow down and remember the true meaning of Christmas.