Holiday Cheer?

I’m sure it’s not just me, I hope it’s not just me, but as of recent years, the holidays have just seemed rather - anticlimactic.

Could it be the build-up of the holiday season that starts two to three months too early? Could it be the countless ads and emails that choke you with ever-changing holiday deals? Or could it be the fact that seeing snow on Christmas, might be a thing of the past?

Either way, it’s no surprise to see that the older I’ve become, the less exciting the holidays are. Of course, I’ve had every older member of my family speak about this pretty much each year around the holidays. There’s seemingly never enough time to prepare, then when the holiday comes, it’s over within 24 hours.

Now, I still treasure the holidays, each moment with my family cherished moments; and as someone whose love language includes gift giving, it’s always a treat watching family open their gifts with smiles on their faces and a twinkle in their eyes. The time off from work, an extended vacation of sorts to catch up on sleep, and a chance to relax. And the amazing food made with love, a cheat day for all those who have been strict with their meals all year.

However, as I’ve gotten older, I can’t but help feel - cheated.

I’ve worked retail before, at one of the major retail giants. I’ve worked three Black Fridays and three Christmas holidays, and I’ve seen the stress on parents' faces, their scramble, and money spent. I’ve seen anger, hostility, and greed at my register and behind the customer service desk. I’ve seen the ads both in the store and suffocating every other second of shows and online videos. And, the worst, I’ve seen Christmas go up the day after Halloween - as if the transition literally happened overnight.

It’s the holiday music clogging every radio station, in November. It’s the constant push from companies with sales and last-minute deals. I just want some useful coupons and deals with grocery items and food for crying out loud! Not $100 off on all electronics!

The holidays have become, dare I say, commercialized? But of course, we all know that.

But what really gets me, as I get older, is the aching loss of the holiday magic.

As a kid, Christmas could never come soon enough. Circling all the toys I wanted from Target’s toy catalog, making a list out to Santa, and being extra good during the weeks following the end of December. Getting excited when holiday music would come on the radio, and singing to every song while my family would drive to get our Christmas tree at a local tree farm. It was waking up the morning to see snow blanketing the ground, excitement shooting around like firecrackers as my sister and I would rush to wake up our parents. And we’d sit at the top of the stairs as they’d traverse to the living room to confirm if Santa had come or not.

It was doing all the fun little holiday crafts at school, the teachers pulling back on how much work they did the week before the holiday, and each day of class reduced to watching movies and coloring. Christmas day also felt like it lasted forever as our family would make the trek to my grandparent's house to finish out the day with more presents, amazing food, and time spent with my extended family.

Now, while I await that long week off from work, it still feels as if the holidays can’t be over fast enough. Done with those annoying holiday deal ads, tired of the incessant marketing emails, exhausted with the same three Christmas songs cycling on the radio over and over and over and over again. Done with the warm, snowless holiday, and done with the commercialism, the greed.

Maybe it comes with the territory of getting older. Maybe it comes with the reality of living in the world we do today. Whatever it is, I hope the further I distance myself from my retail past and the consumerism that plagues the holiday season - that I’m able to enjoy the holidays again, to see the wonder again.

For now, I can at least wish you all a very Happy Holiday and New Year.