What a fool I’ve been
I was in the kitchen the other day preparing my lunch. I had the television on to catch up with the news of an upcoming storm. I began hearing the familiar tunes of Christmas carols, which reminded me Christmas was quickly approaching.
But as the carols continued, I listened more carefully to the words; I realized that the words had nothing to do with the Christmas holiday. They were about choosing the right gifts to make your pets happy this time of year!
Later that afternoon, my husband and I continued to decorate the Christmas tree in our living room while Christmas music continued on the TV. No, there wasn’t a program playing Christmas carols—they were commercials.
I began to pay more attention to what I was hearing. I learned that if you really were concerned about the safety of your children while driving this holiday season, you should buy them a $50,000 Subaru. I guess if you can’t afford this, you don’t give a damn about your kids.
One of my favorite TV ads shows a beautiful snowy Christmas Eve, with a woman opening her gift and finding the keys to a $100,000 Mercedez Benz, which is all wrapped up in the driveway. Not to be outdone, Lexus will wrap one of their very expensive cars, complete with a big red bow, to show your spouse how much they are loved and appreciated.
During this time of year, you can’t watch a single television commercial playing a different rendition of traditional Christmas carols that isn’t begging you to buy something, ranging from air fresheners to furniture. The more expensive the product is, the more beautiful the music is, and the more they try to shame you into buying it.
I’m not a religious person, even though I was raised Catholic. But I do like to see the traditions of the holiday and the messages that Christmas attempts to teach us. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines Christmas as “the Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus.” Somewhere along the way, that meaning was lost. Now, it is the celebration of Capitalism fleecing the public.
When I lived in Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country with few Christians, Christmas was celebrated with Christmas trees, Santa, and the exchange of gifts. Jesus had nothing to do with it. Oddly, Christmas Day was a national holiday, but Muslims regarded it as a religious holiday that Muslims were not allowed to celebrate. The government isn’t stupid; the holiday brings in a lot of money.
Some people keep alive the traditions of caring for the less fortunate and sharing good tidings with their neighbors, but unfortunately, this only lasts a few days during this time of year.
I don’t think we, as a country, will ever go back to the days when Christmas was a celebration of Christ’s birth and a time to adhere to His teachings of love and acceptance. Christmas has gone the way of other holidays, like St. Patrick’s Day, which is no longer a celebration of Irish pride and tradition but a day where people can get as drunk as possible.
Chrismas has become a celebration where corporations and big businesses reap their largest profits of the year while making us believe we are doing something for our families, friends, and neighbors in the spirit of giving.
You don’t have to be religious or even a Christian to be kind to people. We can still reject the commercialism of the holidays and practice what Christmas was supposed to be in our hearts, families, and communities. We can continue this feeling of goodwill all year long. Capitalism will still survive without our financial contribution.
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my Newsletter, click on my photo below.
