Post-Holiday Commentary

As you all know, I’m Atheist, so I sat on the sidelines and watched the annual spectacle unfold around me. Unfold it did, and in big, new ways.

If Jesus is the reason for the season as many say, then how on earth did a baby shower get so out-of-control? Frankincense and myrrh would have never made it this year!

The lunacy involving the trees and household decorations came awhile back with the entrance of Martha Stewart. From there, it went high-tech and Hollywood: outdoor lights covering every single square inch of property, in varying colors set to the beat of loud music; front lawns covered in holiday-colored props ranging from Santa and his sleigh to full-blown mockups of Santa’s workshop, complete with elves, toys, and other assorted characters; Santa portrayed as Elvis, the Grinch, a Hell’s Angel biker, an Oscar celebrity, and a robot; and gifts ranging from the simple plastic gift card all the way to cars, diamonds, fur, and plasma screen TVs that can’t fit through the front door!

It seems the shopping craziness this year has been detoured toward the decorating craziness, with neighbor outdoing neighbor, and whole blocks competing for attention—some even charging admission to see their displays. There was a mock-up of Hollywood and Oscar night, a mock-up of the North Pole, a mock-up of the Las Vegas strip, and a mock-up of the Trump Towers—all with Santa in the shot somewhere.

Has anyone stopped and though about the monumental amounts of energy wasted on such frivolousness, and for what? As time-consuming as it all was to build and put up, it all has to come right back down, and be stored somewhere…and then comes that dreaded electric bill.

It’s getting to be as bad as the 4th of July fireworks each year—more and more, better and better. Where does it all end? When can we say we’ve had enough?

Someone found the cord and plugged the Christmas Machine back in. Now, someone else needs to cut the cord and dim the lights once and for all.

Can anyone venture a guess as to how much it cost for one guy to have a separate power transformer box mounted in his yard just so he could put out his VERY ostentatious display each year? The thought makes me sick.

As if the OUTSIDE lunacy wasn’t enough, we still carry on the lunacy INSIDE with trees decorated ala Martha, presents wrapped and decorated ala Martha, and tables draped and laden ala Martha, Rachel Ray, or the HGTV “Decorating for the Holidays” show. The “baby shower” origins have been twisted and disposed of completely in the name of retail free-for-all, in hopes that retailer can wring a little black ink out for the year.

What else makes me sick is the thought of miles of colorful wrapping paper, coupled with miles of ribbons and tape, all going into the trash—but not until they’re removed from presents under the tree. It’s true, and it’s pathetic, but then someone very wisely designed the reusable gift bag. Someday, more of us will catch onto the reusable GIFT.

Someday, the dumpster in my apartment complex won’t be overflowing with crumpled and torn gift wrap, discarded trees, and large intact boxes every December 25th. Someday, parents of the kids around here will catch on to the fact that newly-gotten toys break after a week of playing with them, or worse—sink to the bottom of the toy box, forgotten, in favor of the neighbor kid’s new Nintendo Wii (which will also succumb to rough-housing).

Instead of carrying all this nonsense to higher and higher heights, shouldn’t we get back to the roots of the day by honoring and gifting local babies born on Christmas Day of each year? The money we spend (or throw away) now could go a long way in helping a newborn’s college fund, or insuring a new family’s good start in life—or even help out a soon-to-be-harried mother. This, I think, would be a more sensible way to honor the birth of Jesus (or anyone else) instead of the holiday insanity we have now.

Would Jesus (or anybody else) approve of this “paying it forward” plan? I think so, especially when compared to what we do NOW. So many people complain of not having enough, yet everyone seems to have enough to throw away (in so many ways) on this spectacle of a holiday.

I’d like to propose a new way to celebrate “Christmas”: plant a tree, give a gift to a local newborn or its family, and have a buffet instead of a Martha-style feast. On second thought, we’d find ways to spin THAT way out of control too.

I guess I’ll just go back to long-range observation. I can hardly wait to see what new boundaries New Year’s has to bring--then there’s Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter…the list goes on, and I’ll be watching.