Some Thoughts From Mrs. Scrooge

A couple of days before Christmas I was battling the last minute shopping rush searching for a 12-inch bungie cord that was on my dad's list (strange...I know), and I realized something: The thing I was most looking forward to about Christmas this year was it being over. Now that it is over and done with, all I really have is a credit card bill and a pile of new gifts in the corner of my room awaiting a home on some shelf in the closet. As I was shopping this year, to alleviate some of the holiday stress I mentally stripped down everything about Christmas that is cultural, traditional, expected, and routine. I tried to imagine what this holiday would be like without Christmas trees (we would never have to debate the political correctness of a "holiday tree"), lights, obligatory parties (more on this later), and especially gifts. That took me to a very good place. A place I wish Christmas would forever rest. I despise that a 12-inch bungie cord is in some way suppose to reflect God's greatest gift to the world and I find it irritating that with every holiday party, we're expected to spend another 30 bucks on a gift to give someone who we see only once a year. I'm positive that God wants us to be in community when we celebrate him, but I hardly think that "dirty santa" gift exchanges is what He had in mind when Jesus was born in that tiny manger.

We should do away with Christmas. It has strayed so far from any intended meaning that I really doubt we, as a society, could ever return to what the holiday is suppose to be about. Case in point: every year my group of high school friends gets together for a little party. We eat, do crafts like making wreaths or painting dishes, and then we always do a gift exchange. This year I was considering the celebration and realized that the whole ordeal really had nothing to do with Christmas at all. It is just an exercise in cultural expectation. Don't get me wrong, I love that I still stay in touch with these wonderful girls from my past and Christmas is a good calendar marker and excuse to do it, but really I would find it just as nice to meet up for a quite dinner out then trying to maintain all of the traditions because we feel like we "have to."

The tradition of the holiday has become so ingrained in our culture that the only way I see possible to eliminate the commercialism and return to the root and reason for the holiday, would be to eliminate the population itself and start over. While this may be a reasonable approach according to some political leaders and extremists in the Middle East, I rather enjoy my life here in the States and would much rather do away with the holiday alone than obliterate an entire population. Anyho, at least I can get some rest and relaxation knowing that Christmas is almost an entire year away. Bah Humbug.