Ebenezer Scrooge was the villain changed by the power of Christmas in the classic Charles Dickens’ novel A Christmas Carol. I am the opposite of Mr. Scrooge. I have been changed by the over commercialized, highly marketed, and retail driven holiday known as Christmas. I know I should be happy during the season selected to celebrate the birth of Christ, but I just don’t like Christmas.
I don’t like Christmas trees. I don’t like them because you spend thousands of dollars over the life of your home decorating a tree and sprucing up around the house. Why can’t you just give this money to the less fortunate? Do we really need an evergreen to remind us of Christ’s love for us? Imagine if our families didn’t get into heated arguments while trying to untangle the Christmas lights? We would all be better people if we didn’t give our mothers evil stares over the multicolored lights.
I don’t like wrapping paper. Wrapping paper is so wasteful! We spend millions of dollars each year in over priced paper. Did you know that the average mark up for wrapping paper is 500%? And we just throw that money away. Why can’t we give that to a needy family in the area? Yes, I wrap all my Christmas packages. However, I wrap each package in brown paper, which I purchase for $8 in a 65ft roll. Much better unit cost ratio than traditional reindeer clad paper. I wrap my packages in brown paper, because of the classic Sound of Music song, “Favorite Things”.
I hate impulse purchasing for Christmas presents just because you have to get your in-laws something nice. I am a believer that each and every gift should be from the heart just as our Creator gave his only Son for our salvation. True, my gifts are not as great as that, but my gifts come from the heart! When I purchase a gift it is not just what was marketed on Nickelodeon, ESPN, or NBC last Saturday morning. Last year my dad made me a manger after my blog proclaiming that it should be the symbol of Christmas not a spruce. I am so proud of my manger, because it was from the heart.
Why am I ranting about Christmas in October? Well, today as I went into work at the Barn there was Christmas decorations hanging from every stationary point. Christmas lights were hung and Santa was arranging the furniture in the corner. I don’t understand why we can’t have fun with Halloween, then build up to Thanksgiving and finally climax with Christmas. I will tell you why. We do it because some three-piece suit skuzball told his boss weak humans would purchase more crap if Christmas lights were installed before November. I believe Christmas is more about giving than receiving.
This season please find someone who needs something more than a new iPhone. You know those people that are less fortunate than you. Find them and give. When you give to them remind them of the real reason for Christmas. Remember, Christ was born into this world to save the world from its own self indulgent. It is funny how Christmas is all about indulgent and the gimme-gimme syndrome. Bah Humbug, bring me Thanksgiving and then we will talk about Christmas!