I used to love Christmas. LOVE it. Growing up, Christmas was the most magical time of the year. My siblings and I spent weeks, months even, planning & plotting for the perfect Christmas. We memorized the Toys R Us holiday catalog, and became hint dropping ninjas. We strategized and organized for our early morning plan of attack. (I should point out here that Christmas morning in the Hauxwell house was a bit of a challenge. My father didn't like to get up nearly as early as we did, so he would booby trap the house in order to bust us trying to catch Santa in the act.) Needless to say, it took some military planning on the part of my brothers and I to get to the tree and our stash of goodies before he caught us in the act. But we loved it. We loved everything about Christmas. The beautiful and fun decorations, the singing of carols, the holiday TV specials, the time with family, the delicious treats, and the magic and mystery. All of it.
Then something happened. I grew up. And while I still loved Christmas, I never could recreate the wonder of those childhood times. Then I met my husband, and with our son, Zachary, I found it again. To see the holiday through the innocent eyes of a child is a magic and wonder all its own. We started our own traditions, and shared some of our old ones. Christmas had once again been revived. But, over the years, our son grew up, and lost his youthful Christmas enthusiasm. And after over a decade in the retail industry, I had lost the excitement myself. Christmas just wasn't the same. Sure, it still had its moments of joy, but the magic was long gone. It became more of a chore, than a pleasure. I no longer looked forward to it, rather, I began to dread it. Then we lost our son. Holidays took on a sadness and pain that overshadowed even the best things about the season.
That was when my inner Scrooge really blossomed. It had been growing for quite some time, but that was the straw that broke the reindeer's back. That was also when I realized that it wasn't just me. That somewhere through the years, Christmas had been replaced by Crapmas. I was no longer the only one who wanted to shove Frosty's nose up his frozen backside, and tell the 3 wise men to piss off. It was becoming an epidemic. Bah humbug-itis had spread like wildfire. Which got me to thinking.... What happened? Here is my best answer.
Christmas vs. Crapmas: a comparison
Christmas: A time spent focused on loved ones, making memories that last a lifetime.
Crapmas: A time spent focused on possessions, causing stress.
Christmas: Beautiful lights, and trees decorated with cherished family heirlooms, by loving families.
Crapmas: Competing with your neighbors over who has the best display, and trees decorated to look like store displays, with nothing of sentimental value, by stressed out mothers, who won't let their children touch them.
Christmas: A month of traditional carols that remind us of simpler times, and the real reason for the season.
Crapmas: Three months worth of overplayed, over produced, non traditional songs, that focus on nothing of value.
Christmas: Children writing lists to Santa of gifts they'd love to have, and wondering which, if any, of those things would be under the tree Christmas morning.
Crapmas: Children writing lists to everyone, demanding an endless array of useless and unnecessary items, then being pissed off if every single one of them isn't under the tree Crapmas morning.
Christmas: Relaxing day spent with your family, enjoying each other's company, and basking in the rewarding laughter of happy children.
Crapmas: A rushed, stressed out day, running from one house to another, trying to please everyone else, while making yourself miserable.
Christmas: Taking the time to help out your fellow man. Remembering those less fortunate. Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward man.
Crapmas: Leaving your family early on Thanksgiving to stand in line and fight with other adults over who gets the latest gadgets. Being mobbed and robbed.
Christmas: A holiday celebrating the birth of a noble man, who lived his life to help others, and remind us to be better people.
Crapmas: A holiday celebrating commercialization and greed.
Christmas: A day to give gifts of the heart. Whether they are homemade, or store bought, it doesn't matter, because it is the thought that counts. It was about the giving, not the receiving.
Crapmas: A day to see who loves you the most, based on the quantity of gifts and amount spent. And to return the ones that aren't worthy of your gratitude.
I could go on and on, but the point is, Christmas has changed, and it's only getting worse. The simple, pure, loving holiday that we once knew is gone. We have let the least meaningful and important parts take over, and forgotten the true meaning. And I'm not just talking about Jesus, either. I mean all of it. The wonder, the magic, the joy, and the miracles. The kindness towards one another, and the simple pleasures. We are too busy rushing and stressing about making everything some crazy idea of perfect, that we overlook the genuine perfection right in front of us. The glistening of lights on freshly fallen snow. The wide eyed wonder of children as they search the sky for Santa and his sleigh. The harmony of a church choir as they sing of a humble birth. The taste of freshly baked cookies, warm from the oven, and made with love. Christmas is still all around us, we just don't see it anymore. It's easy to overlook, because it isn't as flashy and loud as Crapmas.
So before you assume the worst of me, and ask me why I'm such a Scrooge, remember... I don't hate Christmas, I hate what it's become.
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