The Problem of Christmas

Sometimes I feel like a scrooge, and I feel bad about it. But then I realize that scrooge’s are the only people that get it right. Some people are all about the material Christmas. Others claim they find the true ‘Spirit of Christmas’ which ends up being family or something. However even they are material in the end. Scrooge’s though, they realize it is futile and give it up as a bad job, and they are frowned upon. Aren’t most genii frowned upon during their time? What is wrong about being a scrooge?

Christmas used to be my favorite holiday as a kid. Looking back I see that it was because of the presents, lots and lots of presents. Suddenly there was a day where all the things parents said "no" too was reversed and it was something to look forward too. Back to now, I can see that I was Mr. Material Christmas. But I was at an impressionable age, and with more knowledge I can see that Christmas has good intentions, but falls very  short of its expectations. Material Christmas, those who view Christmas like I had as a child, are in it for the gifts. They are greedy, selfish, and have an annoyingly large amount of annoying attributes. Nobody wants them around because they do not appreciate the gift, neither the trouble of it nor the meaning of it. They are at the bottom of the naughty list, because they have been their forever.

Then there are those that find the true 'Spirit of Christmas.' This path is what is smiled upon as the correct path. What it involves includes many aspects found in people and things that are not seen by Mr. Material Christmas. These people follow similar actions of the material people, but deep down they know it to be something more and Christmas is the thing that digs deep down and lets it shine. Instead of gifts, Christmas is about family and friends and being grateful that they have been there all year (and as Christmas is conveniently within a week from years end it is the perfect timing to celebrate that thanks). Mr. Spiritual Christmas sees that gifts have a larger meaning behind them, and it is the message the 'from: x' person sends that is most valuable. However, do they have it right?

I feel that Mr. Spiritual Christmas has it wrong, for entirely different reasons that the material. A simple explanation is that spiritualists use their reasons as an excuse to receive presents and become the material. This path makes sense, even though many would balk and counter furiously. However I'm sure many among the spiritualists will cower in shame because it is true. But even so, this reason does not satisfy me very well because it doesn't seem strong enough. A better explanation could be that if they feel this way then Mr. Spiritual Christmas should show it all year long, instead of barely a month. It seems odd that we should be reminded that we should be thankful for our friends and family. I am just not satisfied with this route as I am told I should be by all of those that fall under the Mr. Spiritual Christmas, because that route is the 'mature, adult path.'

There is one other route that I think Christmas could take that is slightly better than both spiritual and material is the clear Mr. Religious Christmas. These people view Christmas more in the past than the present. They view it as the coming of Christ, the savior person from 2000+ years ago. They believe that He is important and on His birthday we should celebrate his arrival. The three wise men brought presents for the new born king, thus the tradition of presents rose. But to them Christmas symbolizes hope, among other things, and they hope for the future and that their beliefs about higher powers and the afterlife are correct. However I cannot take that step, for I feel that if those things exist, then I will believe when my time comes to believe (i.e. My time to know about the afterlife is after I die, not before). To take that step early, to me, shows signs of giving up on the present, and that just seems too stupid of a thing to do.

So if Mr. Material, Mr. Spiritual, and even Mr. Religious Christmas have it wrong in my eyes, then what path got it right? The only remaining path looks to be Mr. Scrooge Christmas, and eerily enough I have been following his steps recently. So how does a scrooge view Christmas? With disgust, at the fact that Mr. Material has a stronger grasp than people are willing to admit, and disgust at the more 'mature' route at Mr. Spiritual's expense. With contempt, because Christmas has some strong goals and fails to achieve them at all accounts. And with faithlessness, because religion is so questionable that many refuse to try to question it.

But in reality isn't that how Christmas really is today? Mr. Material really does have a stronger hold on people than one thinks. Mr. Spiritual has some strong goals, but rather an excuse covering Mr. Material, or a reminder of how wrong we've been all other 11 months, it does not achieve the goals that Christmas should be about family and friends. And Mr. Religious's stories of how Christmas was started really became true merely because people don't want to question it too closely. Only Mr. Scrooge tends to get any portion of it right, and why shouldn't he be an irritable old man? Everyone else is lying to themselves! No one wants to accept the truth and move on! Christmas does not show what they are, Christmas shows what they are not. They are not honest to themselves... and all a scrooge can do is shout "Bah, humbug" at those that got it wrong.