‘Tis The Season…To Be Cool About Yule

With Christmas spirit turning into Xmas frenzy, Chanel Etienne gets back to basics.

I’m not mean minded or a Scrooge but Christmas this year has gone too far.

It’s the season to be jolly, but somehow the jollifications have become commercialised and competitive – squeezing out the true spirit of Christmas.

The essence of giving and celebrating with your nearest and dearest has almost gone out of the window, replaced with frantic shoppers finding the right shade of wrapping paper to match their Christmas tree.

Meanwhile so many people are complaining that this or that is not right for Christmas – it’s enough to make Santa give up and go home.

Yahoo News reported that 20 solitary ‘scrooges’ marched down the streets of Tokyo not only protesting against the commercialisation of Christmas (fair enough) but also complaining that the festive season discriminates against those who will spend it alone.

Somebody might have advised them to stop shouting ‘Bah, humbug!’ and try going out to a bar for a bit of merry making.

Poor old Starbucks was first criticised for providing plain red seasonal cups with no direct mention of Christmas; then for committing the sin of making polar bear cookies! There was red icing around the polar bears’ neck, and some customers took to Twitter to suggest this might refer to slitting their throats. As if!

Is this really what Christmas has become – criticising other people’s attempts to celebrate?

Of course for us adults there is no longer the anticipation and the excitement of opening presents; neither is religious ritual especially strong – at least, not in my household.

But there are still traditions to observe and enjoy: the EastEnders plot twist and a mandatory viewing of at least one Home Alone film, for example.

More importantly, the idea of giving remains universally important.

That’s the part of Christmas I’ll be holding on to, this year and next.

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