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DEBUGGING: Christmas
by traycee lynn

Somebody, please school me. How did wish lists, traffic jams, and short tempered shoppers evolve from a biblical story about a heroic child’s humble beginnings in a stable where three wise men brought gifts to him out of respect, praise and honor for the child’s destiny?

How do we get to evergreen trees, 24-hour department stores, and Santa – which actually spells satan, unscrambled?

I have a young relative that wanted an IPod, another that wanted a laptop, and I hear these expensive demands growing every year. Often, the wishlists require at least 2 or 3 paychecks to satisfy. I see people scrambling for overtime to pay for the gifts, we even see a spike in the crime rate with people doing desperate things for money- including this year, where someone robbed the donation jar for the cop who was killed at Dunkin Donuts in Philadelphia. Through all this financial frenzy, I wonder how much of this is really Christmas related and how much of it is just American consumer culture on caffeine?

And what about those who do not get “what they want” and they go into a temper tantrum, catch an attitude – as if this day has anything to do with them getting gifts?

While I was debugging this whole thing, I forced myself to think of something positive and I came up with this: I do admire the gift giving attitude and how that is being mimicked of the three wise men spoken of in the bible. I do appreciate the positive spirit in the workplace and the paid day off. This actually reminds me of the slave narratives that say Christmas time was the nicest slavemaster’s had ever been and slaves did not have to work as hard, and they were rarely beaten on this day – guess this happy mood has been carried over.

But getting back to the subject. The origin of this day did not include a wishlist. Gifts came from the heart, and the one receiving did not expect it.

I personally do not put up a tree. I don’t like buying holiday gifts and I really don’t want people to buy me any gifts either. I would rather have someone take that same money and give it to someone less fortunate than me. Someone homeless, a shelter, anything but to me. I don’t need gift certificate, a sweater, a new anything right now – but I know a lot of people who could use it.

I was downtown this past weekend, watching the rushing shoppers hustling past the homeless as if they did not exist. And I just thought about the crazy, programmed irony of it all.

This year, I was pressured into buying gifts for my 8-year old niece. She wanted an Ipod and an MP3 player – just asking for random things that seemed to be the latest fad. They do not own a computer, but yet she wanted an Ipod. I bought her a CD walkman, a CD and a beginner’s bible for kids. She did not say thank you. Infact, I think she is upset with me. Next year, I’m not buying anyone I know personally to be fortunate with shelter and food anything for Christmas. Call me a scrooge, but that’s how I see it.

I’d rather spend that money on people that really need it, and I’d rather reflect on origin of the actual day.

This is why Christmas is my least favorite holiday. Its not even a real holiday, but instead a manufactured holiday created by the Roman Catholic Church. The Romans, who were pagans before eventually becoming christians, celebrated a holiday called Saturnalia for a week in mid-December to celebrate their harvest and to give thanks to Saturn the god of seeds and sowing. Everyone totally let loose. No one worked during this time, there were huge feasts, drinking, gambling and all sorts of illicit activities. The church who of course did not like this activity and somehow convinced everyone when conversion began taking place from paganism to christianity, that Christ was born on December 25th, and so therefore this was a holy day. They phased out Saturnalia and rolled in "Christmas" Its highly unlikely that Christ was born at any point during the winter time since there are mentions of shepherds tending there flock at the time of jesus birth. Shepherds do not tend there flock in the dead of winter. I read somehwere that Jesus' was more than likely born in August.

Christmas is ugly and I'm getting tired of getting drawn in. Jesus always gave to people who were in need. I think if I give anything next year it will be for people less fortunate or only gifts that fulfill true needs.

During this time of year, I'm definitely grateful for not celebrating Christmas. I was speaking with my sister on Wednesday about what her daughter received for Christmas. She just turned 9 earlier this month but received a Sidekick 3 (her original cellphone from just last year is obviously outdated in her eyes), a new Ipod, Nintendo DS, etc. for Christmas. I still can't believe it. And I think she was upset because she didn't receive a Nintendo Wii. I told me sister laughingly that I have a job and can't even afford to buy myself that stuff! I remember it being a big deal when my friend got the original Nintendo video game system for $100 back in 1989. Technology is being advanced so quickly these days that we'll never have enough money to buy enough gadgets for the children of today. I can imagine that in the near future, children will be hooked into some kind of worldwide virtual network immediately after birth.

i celebrate christmas. i love christmas in fact. i think because it's the only holiday that my mom really got into and she would cook a BIG italian meal. christmas is the only holiday where we would have a set tradition. we went to my grandma's in CT, the women would cook xmas eve dinner, we would go to midnight mass, open a gift at home, go to sleep, and wake up to find that santa had come.

i recognize that the holiday has become completely commercial and that's what i celebrate - the commercialization of it all. i know that jesus wasn't born in december - so there's no more midnight masses for me or my children. but, you will see my ass at the mall on black friday soaking in the cheer, laughing at the frantic people, and picking up things on sale.

i stopped spending so much money on folks - it is pointless. but i do buy gifts, or i make cookies or that cake - i give something that they will like and appreciate. something thoughtfull. the best thing that i did this year was the scavenger hunt. it was fun seeing my children work together and run throught the house looking for clues - much more fun than watching them tear through presents under the tree.

but wish lists are no longer honored in my house. my daughter's list topped $1300 this year. i gave her the 'you have lost your mind look.' and instead i bought things that they did not ask for, but knew that they would love - and they did.

I see Christmas as two holidays:

The celebration of the birth of the Child is one holiday.

The feasting, gift giving, and decorating are another secular (pagan) holiday (of which I know the ancient pagan influence), not unlike Thanksgiving or Valentine's Day.

Every year I reflect on that. I celebrate both Christmases, but it's not my favorite time of year, and every year, I'm glad when it's over. But I do enjoy giving gifts to others, and I enjoy being with family, 'cause let's face it, most families only get together nowadays for holidays, when they have days off from work, and funerals. I've decided that for me, secular Christmas is about nostalgia and family. I don't object to presents, because despite some of the entitlement to gifts people feel, you can get around it by choosing how much you want to participate in gift giving. If people have issues with that, shame on them. I don't give presents to other folks' kids at Christmas. In my eyes, it's up to the parents to spoil their children if they want. I don't want any part of that. When I give gifts, it's usually for birthdays, and it's often educational stuff.

I think that with my own children, I will make efforts to somehow separate the celebration of the Child from the pagan holiday, so that they will understand and attach importance to the difference. I would like for them to be knowledgeable about my faith. But I want them to participate in the other Christmas - the food and family part - because that means so much to me. Spoiling will NOT occur. Period. And I think that parents are to blame when their children are materialistic, because it's their job to guide their children so that American materialistic culture doesn't program their kids into a sense of entitlement. Once upon a time, kids received oranges and little cakes and clothes and stuff for Christmas. I'm not giving my kids that stuff, but if I'm going to give them nice presents, why does Christmas have to be "jackpot day?" There are 364 other days in the year. And why does it have to be for the most expensive stuff - stuff people will be paying for until next August? I think it sends the wrong message to the kids.

Christmas is not the most holy and meaningful time of the year for Christians though - Easter is. I feel much of folks' frustration with secular trumping the sacred even stronger when Easter bunnies and Easter baskets and new clothes become the focus. It's a mix of the celebration of the spring equinox and the resurrection of Christ, and it's disgusting to me to see the focus get lost every year. I don't celebrate Spring at Easter time - to me, that time is about faith alone. I can celebrate Spring all the other weeks - why should it be all on top of the most Holy time of the year for my faith?

Would Christmas be viewed differently if it were celebrated on July 25th? Would people shop more or less?

The materialism of Christmas is blah to me. I'm so not into it. I only dig the family part. Since it's a day alot of my fam has off we finally get a day that we can go to worship together if we so choose. This year their were no gifts and such from me. Hell we just bought a house. I'm already thinking of next year though. Not for gift giving, that wasn't even in the thoughts. My main thing is it'll be the babies first Christmas and we'll have owned our house for an entire year and been married for over 1 year and we have a place for our family to be together. That's what it's about for us next year. Showing our child the importance of family tradition and if my grandmother is still alive OH HELL YEAH IT'S ON!