Sunday, December 24, 2006
Got Christmas Spirit?
Hate to say it, I don’t. And I notice not many people do either. Why is this?
I love Christmas. I mean really, who doesn’t? As a theologian i love the whole focus on the incarnation. I love Christmas lights. I love giving people things (usually books out of my library). And I love watching Ralphie get his Red Rider BB Gun a dozen times.
But this year I have no Christmas Spirit. I mean, I cannot even remember how many days til Christmas (one silly). I have been flat all December. And I have not noticed hardly anyone really excited about Christmas this year.
Now some will blame Global Warming (isn’t it to blame for everything?). Of course, it snowed for two straight days and closed everthing down in town this week, so the Global Warming theory doesn’t work (a white Christmas for the first time in years).
War in Iraq? No, Americans have managed to have Christmas Spirit during World Wars, Great Depressions, and even after 9/11.
How about the War on Christmas? Not this year, seems like everyone is back to saying “Merry Christmas” at least in the United States (for the wonderful increassingly secular and Muslim world of the U.K see these two articles
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=424567&in_page_id=1770 http://www.daelnet.co.uk/news/weekend/weekend_22122006.cfm
Look, I am no David Brooks (who is brilliant you know), but if I was to give a Bobos in Paradise answer to the lack of Christmas Spirit I would say it is that its the commercials. Look, Christmas is commercialized. Get over it. It aids in our economy, and although we spend lots of stuff no one wants, its not the end of the world (though I do wonder if over $1billion is spent this year on Christmas gifts for pets instead of sending that money to end malaria or AIDS in Africa if we are not judging ourselves).
No, its the actual commercials for the stuff that they are trying to sell us. Their aggressive, mean, nasty, sometimes crude, and make you feel like spending tons of money on Christmas is mandatory and that if you don’t you uncool, a bad husband/parent/family member, and that if you are bothered by this, you clearly don’t get it.
Well, this year I don’t get it. Its one of our cheapest Christmas ever (thanks to financial realities), and you know, these commercials have for the first time in my life look expectantly to January.
Is it just me? What do you think?
