As we pass through the Thanksgiving season, we all get a little eager for the Holidays. The sooner they come, the better. Right? Except, not quite.
The Christmas cheer is undoubtedly contagious. There is such a wonder to the lights, the music. Oh, the dazzles that take up all the electricity bill. Gingerbread men in their frosting gardens, the gingerbread house with a huge chunk out of it that will cost him his life savings. Ornaments in all shapes and sizes…
All in all, yes, there is plenty to love about Christmas. Christmas, however, is one day. Is two months of anticipation worth it?
One aspect of Christmas that is particularly overwhelming is the mass-commercialization of the holiday. Gift-giving is one of the most prominent elements of Christmas; a trait that all retailers benefit from. Black Friday, of course, is almost engineered for the occasion. Michael’s, the arts and craft chain, couldn’t be more prepared. The nightmare before Christmas is the fact that the isles are already brimming with lacy decorations for your mantle in the middle of October. If I were an entrepreneur responsible for Michael’s, the halls would not be the only thing on that list to be decked!
This is a real-world phenomenon known as Christmas Creep. First defined in the 80’s, this phenomenon is done by retailers to increase the window of sales time for items that are generally seasonal in nature. It is merely an illusion to think that the silly marketing ploys are behind what’s driving the festive fervor. Where there’s a commercial campaign, there’s a demand. Meaning, we are not the poor, hapless victims of a well-planned seasonal marketing scheme; we are the Christmas campaign!
But why do we participate? What makes Christmas so exciting?
Think of it this way:
Life is complicated, and full of complicated things. In our usual lives, there’s not always time for the simple things we love. Holiday traditions bring the family closer together, something made more difficult when everyone’s occupied in the bustle of the year. Breaks from work or school allow for recreational time, escapism for the ritual-like routine we follow for the rest of the year.
Finally: what makes it matter?
Really, what makes Christmas cheer for a person can depend on a lot of things. Christmas fatigue is the biggest concern to starting so early; by the time the 25th of December arrives, we’ll all be begging for it to be over. A simple fix for this is simply not involving yourself in Christmas tradition until you feel like the time is right.
If you believe you’ll be missing out, you’re not! Though we seem to forget, at the end of the year, we have no reason to be bored! From Thanksgiving to Veteran’s Day, and the most celebrated Halloween, we have enough on our plates in October to December; FOMO is optional.
Insignificant, they may seem, but really, they’re just overlooked. For instance, many seem to believe that Thanksgiving is forgettable. Thanksgiving shares many values with Christmas, such as the element of gratitude or time with family.
If anything, Christmas is a given. As general popularity does it for us, we have no need for it to feel special. It already is. Forgotten holidays like Thanksgiving are holidays with potential. So, if you can’t stand Christmas overtime, that’s okay! You’ll stay busy all the same. Just don’t turn on the radio after November 1st. Besides, what’s there to miss about extra Christmas?
What a shame indeed.
