A recurring theme in my college experience (or simply my growing up experience) is that I look at old beliefs and old habits with new eyes. Of course, the old thing I'm going to talk about now is Christmas. Now, I've always been a big fan of Christmas. And what's there not to love? Good food, good friends, good family and new stuff. Plus my birthday is right next to the thing! Whenever anyone says that Christmas is their favorite holiday, I always thought that it was like claiming that your favorite hobby was breathing. It's a fact that Christmas is the best shit ever plain and simple. However, recently, I'm not exactly sure why (maybe because of Philo and Theo), Christmas has kind of become a scam. Maybe even a sham. A scham.
It's been building up for a while but I guess it hit it critical mass when I figured that Christmas was just one big marketing ploy. You've heard these messages all over. On the radio, in mall speakers, on food packaging, on TV, the internet. You name it, they've done it. And they started early on too. As early as October, they'll be playing Christmas music on the speakers so you're reminded of your Christmas shopping, changing up their packaging on their products to make them more festive, adding peppermint oil to their ridiculously overpriced coffee. And I'm sitting there wondering how these marketing executives fucking sleep at night. Then I think to myself that the meaning of the holiday must have been objectified or given an objectivated meaning from the people that celebrate it. And a quick run through of the history of Christmas tells me that it could mean whatever people wanted it to mean.
Last night, I was tweeting about my struggle to find the meaning of Christmas. I guess for a lot of people it can mean ham, hot chocolate, puto bumbong, presents or all the new stuff they buy themselves for Christmas. And in the end, I guess that's okay too. But then, we all have to acknowledge that it means that this season is no season of giving. It's a season of buying, spending and eating. And we're all in on it.
What of family, friends and love and togetherness? Well, I thought about that and I know that those things are precious to me. But I still hold them dear, regardless of whatever season it may be. If it serves as a reminder of my love for them, it's not doing a very good job. A lot of the time, we don't give presents out of love. We do it for show or because we don't want to offend anyone.
So what's my conclusion? Christmas can mean whatever you want it to mean. If you don't mind being controlled by marketing firms, then keep on listening to mall Christmas songs and ridiculous radio ads featuring atrocious puns (Merry Cremas, indeed!). If you're talking about generosity, I don't know. Do something generous. Might be good if you can sustain that past the season but if you can't, well, don't bullshit yourself into thinking that it's anything more than Christmasurbation (how's that for a pun?).
Happy holidays! I guess.
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