When one thinks of the United Kingdom, Christmas cheer probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. One British television station, however, took it upon themselves to spread exactly that.
British TV’s Christmas 24, owned by NBCUniversal, hosted what they called “The Christmas Gift Experiment” at a shopping mall in the city of Birmingham.
In Birmingham’s Grand Central shopping center, Christmas 24 set up an automated booth with a phone attached. The phone rings and passersby answer the call. If they answer, a present is dispensed from the booth. Here’s the catch: on the other end of the phone is the voice of Santa Claus, and the present is for a stranger.
After being drawn in by a sign reading “Free Presents”, shoppers were asked to give the gift to a complete stranger within Grand Central. The results were heartwarming.
I have to agree with our friends across the pond on this one. This is Christmas as it should be. The beauty of “The Christmas Gift Experiment” is that the participant thinks he or she is getting the gift. Then they are tasked with giving the gift away.
When one shopper asked why the gift was not for her, wise old Saint Nick replied, “Because presents are for giving, not for receiving. Wouldn’t you agree?” I certainly do.
Granted, giving away free presents in a shopping mall is a testament to how materialistic and superficial the holiday season has become. I know I’d rather share a meal with family and friends than receive a scarf or a NutriBullet, but at least the experiment promoted giving over receiving and put a smile on some random faces. Just watching people’s faces light up made me grin at my computer screen like a fat kid grins at cake.
I, for one, would like to see some of these free present booths in the United States, perhaps in the Mall of Louisiana, or even in the quad at LSU. A present and some Christmas cheer would have definitely lifted my spirits during finals week.
Regardless, we can all learn a lesson from Britain and the good people at NBC’s Christmas 24. The holidays are a time for spreading joy and generosity. I think Bill Murray said it best in his movie “Scrooged” back in 1988. He said that Christmas is a time when “we all act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we share a little more… we are the people that we always hoped we would be.”
Merry Christmas.
