Ah, Christmas. That 3 month time span of the year from mid October- early January where Starbucks lays out the red cups, every store puts up historic blow out block buster sales, and "Jingle Bell Rock" plays on repeat until you'd prefer to rather just be deaf. For many people this is a joyous holiday, a time where everyone can come together, see family, celebrate and enjoy each others company. I have to throw in the perspective of someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas, someone who catches an Oscar nominated film with a Chinese buffet lunch on December 25th.
Every year, around now, there is a new attack thrown at Christmas. The media has created a phenomenon where anytime you say 'happy holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" it's an instant infringement on the greatest holiday that has ever existed. Nativity Scenes must be displayed all around, and if there is one single misstep, one little detail missing then Christmas as a whole must be under attack. That is how this argument sounds from my perspective. Last year Fox News anchors became unhinged at the sight of a Festivus Pole. Festivus was a popular holiday created on the show "Seinfeld" back in the late 1990's. One of the main Characters father created his own holiday where everyone sits around at the table, eats food and says what they truly think about each other, positive or negative. The Festivus Pole substituted the ordinary Christmas Tree.
Living in New York City there are many things related to Christmas I enjoy very much. Sax Fifth Avenue's annual holiday display, the Christmas train show at Grand Central station. Midtown Christmas snow flakes dangling from the street poles and stop lights, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting, and especially the Union Square holiday shopping markets. We take these events to the extreme and make them "bigly" like you've never seen. The only thing I would wish is instead of three drawn out long months of music in Dunkin Donuts playing on endless repeat we could spend maybe just a month or a few weeks celebrating the holidays.
Our culture has shifted to a current state where commercialization and making a profit is all that matters during the holiday season. When I was 4, businesses would be near but all closed on Christmas and New Years, now places like Starbucks simply have shortened opening and closing hours. instead of entire days off. In America at the very least we have begun to treat Christmas not so much as a holiday but as an ordinary work day. Money is the only driver for this holiday anymore. We're consumed with the idea of making money but have lost sight of the values and simple spirit that used to fuel this holiday.
