What makes Christmas, well, Christmas? Is it the eggnog and candy canes? Or the mistletoe and stockings? As a child, your whole world is constructed for you. Your parents line up the presents, put up the tree and light up the house, while you help with however much your parents allow. There is no care in the world except what to put on your wish list! The cycle continues when you grow up and have your own kids; you’ll do the same for them. You’ll let them bake Christmas cookies and watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The question is, when does this Christmas spirit end? It’s that warm feeling of love and appreciation, a comforting and relaxing emotion that seems to cross our hearts some years more than others.
Christmas is more commercialized now than it ever wasbefore. Perhaps the Christmas spirit seems fake or forced, with all of the commercials and ads buzzing in your ear. Not just in America, but everywhere around the world everyone is looking to get a bang for their buck as they squeeze out the ends of Christmas, from Halloween to New Year’s Eve. It almost seems like the spirit everyone hopes for nowadays is artificial. People hope for a temporary excitement from the present they receive rather than a seasonal feeling of contentment.
Many say that once they grow older, they are tasked with responsibilities which draw their attention away from what they now see as silly traditions that take up nothing but time. Personal life stressors such as school and work are the priority–not seeking to get into the holiday spirit. In fact, Christmastime may be the only thing to show Americans that perhaps we are not truly living in the moment. The American life is a very fast-paced one. Today, messages can be sent in a second. Information can be consumed in minutes. People are expected to fill up their schedules and hurry to their next appointment. Double booking and multi-tasking is the expectation. We are caught in a frenzied, chaotic, spiraling way of life that demands our attention and focus 24/7. In America, progress equals fast. To snap out of this flow, and suddenly realize it’s December because you hear Jingle Bells in Walmart, is the epitome of holiday whiplash.
When Christmas comes around, there is this guilt that we are not appreciating life. For some, the Christmas spirit is a passing thought, but is never sought out. A child’s life is slow, thus they notice the small things in life and take their time to appreciate what’s in front of them. Seldom are we granted that gift anymore–the gift of time and ease. The Christmas spirit isn’t something that is obtained through a pit full of presents or the pressure to get the lights around the house just right. To get the Christmas spirit again is a beautiful experience because it means taking time out of your work, out of your life. You are giving that time to what really matters on this earth–your family. For one moment, one season, you are choosing your family and peace over other things that could occupy your time.
So, I leave you with the thought of what you will do with your time this year. Maybe it doesn’t hurt to stop and smell the hollies this holiday season. Your family will miss you; your work will not. It will soon be a new year to rush around once again. I just ask that perhaps you take the time to listen to that Christmas song with a friend, or bake those Christmas cookies with a sibling. I mean, the Christmas spirit only comes around once a year! Why not make it count?
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.