Dare I say the word? The word that brings joy to some, while revealing the inner grinch of others. Yes, this C word is apparently just as much an expletive as that other one. It’s CHRIIIIIISTMAAAAAAASSSS.
In the last week, my Facebook feed has been a mix of people ready to celebrate the festive season now that Halloween is out of the way, and other people claiming that it’s far too early to even be thinking about the holiday. With just six weeks to go however, is it really too early? “There’s 12 days of Christmas, none of which are in November!” is the kind of thing that comes up the most and quite frankly, that’s more annoying than seeing Christmas cards in August. I’m not saying we should all be ready to celebrate Christmas immediately, but why do people feel the need to judge those who are more than ready, those who have been ready for months. Yes, there’s a lot of things wrong with the commercialism of Christmas, but in all honesty, I’m a sucker for it.
For me, this year has been pretty naff, all my energy has gone into making sure I don’t wallow in it, and it’s been SO hard. The thing is, the Christmas season is one of the first things this year that I’ve got myself really excited for and I can’t stand people putting it down. Just as I’m sure that some people are dreading the holiday and hearing others hype it up is doing their head in. The point is we shouldn’t smother everyone in figgy pudding, nor should we go all Scrooge on everyone. You do you. If you want to listen to Christmas music, do it. Hell, I even enjoy listening to Mariah Carey at this time of year! That being said, if the festive adverts are doing your head in, look away.
Don’t let the commercial machine win. Working in retail, there’s certainly a side to Christmas that has the potential to stress me out. However, I’m trying my hardest to not let that be the focus of the season. I’m getting excited about going home after my Christmas Eve shift, seeing my family and friends, eating all the food and drinking all the booze. It’s a personal thing, and even if the commercialism is a a big money making machine for huge businesses, it does contribute to that fuzzy feeling inside. It gets me thinking about the joy that Christmas brings me and I definitely don’t mind prolonging that feeling.
Now, don’t go shoving Christmas down someone’s throat if they don’t give a damn about the holiday. Retail and the media are doing enough of that. When it comes to our actions as individuals, it’s all about respect, honouring each others’ opinions, not letting the commercial machine get you down. If you’re pissed off about the adverts, the Christmas cards in shops, to the point that you’re complaining online, then they’ve won. You don’t have to be led by what the TV says, so just look away, put something else on, switch off.
Speaking of ads, one of my favourites at the moment is from Tesco, portraying that initial disgust at the arrival of Christmas products in the shops. It gradually gets down to remembering the fun from last year, embracing the festivities instead of hating them. What’s the point in being negative? Just because you’re eating mince pies, it doesn’t mean Christmas is happening. I’m not saying there’s something wrong if you’re not ready for Christmas, but the majority of people slating it on Facebook etc. are making out that those of us who are ready just aren’t right. I’m sorry, I’m happy about the most wonderful time of the year being well upon us and no one is going to dull my Christmas sparkle. Of course, I WILL respect your feelings – if you’re not ready for the holidays, I’ll save my festive mood for those that are. It’s all about balance and acceptance. It’s okay to not be okay, but it’s also okay to just be okay. Honour that.
Yes this is personal, and yes, you’re allowed to disagree with me. But please, if you see someone singing Christmas carols this week, don’t roll your eyes, just accept that they are happy. If you’re the one singing those carols, don’t force someone into it if they’re clearly not feeling festive. It’s about respecting each other, not turning everything into a competition of who’s right and who’s wrong. Who’s cooler than who. If you want to listen to Slade, then just do it. If you don’t want to get your Crimbo on until December (or at all), fine, do that. The key is real communication instead of passive posts on social media. Someone waving tinsel in your face and you don’t like it? Tell them, politely. Don’t turn it into an online battle.
I can’t say too much more without ranting and sounding like a hypocrite, so I’m just going to leave it there and listen to a bunch of Christmas songs. Oh, one last point, who could be mad about an excuse to drink mulled wine? Bring it on.
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I hope you still like me after reading this, check up on my Twitter and Instagram for more updates, they won’t all be festive, I promise!
x
SAMANTHA MAE 