Religion, Christmas, Oh?

The bulk of the holiday season is over this year: Thanksgiving through New Years) and we’re getting ready to bring in the new year. Stop.

I want you to think about something: Bringing in the New Year.

How exactly do you “bring in” a new year as opposed to a new month, week, day, even second? What’s the difference? Is New Years a holiday worth celebrating? It’s a day or two off from work and another excuse to get plastered and party. Oh. How is this different than a weekend? Maybe I’m just overly cynical or too much of a “blah” as my mother calls me.

As for Christmas, most people that know me very well know my distaste for Christmas. I see this season as being a happy time for three people. The businessman will most likely make a fortune in preparation for this time of the year, although a percentage of them might go bankrupt due to an underwhelming Black Friday or something of that nature. The Christian will celebrate the birth of their savior. The child will open presents under a Christmas tree and have thirty new toys to play with for a week before they get bored.

I’m none of these people.

Another reason to enjoy Christmas is getting together with family for fun times, relaxation, great food, and laughs all around. Although that is the case with me to a limited extent, I can’t say that I’m all too fond of that idea. My family is small, I see them normally, have fun times, relax, have great food, and laughs all around. Christmas in my case feels like any other day, with longer lines, more crowds, and more pressure.

So, the season of giving? Businesses advertise “Big Savings” and “Season of Giving” to consumers as a ploy for them to get more money. Ever think about that $200 thing you bought on sale for $50 during Christmas? Yeah, you probably thought, “Wow, what a great deal!” Think deeper. Think about the family that didn’t get paid because of the cost difference. Think about that minimum-wage store employee that has to get written up for not selling an insurance plan with 20x as many customers in the store that need to be engaged. Great bargain? Yeah, for you while dozens more get the bad end of the stick. I hope that makes you feel wonderful.

I don’t think that there should be a day specific to the world that we have to be nice to each other. If you truly enjoy being with somebody, that should show year-round.