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Loading...I am the type of person who lays awake all night waiting for Christmas day to come. Excitement bubbles inside of me and I am always about to burst out of my skin. When morning arrives, I pace the floor until everyone is awake, ready to sing and shout in excitement.
It is not the presents that have me excited or that Santa Claus came in the middle of the night to deliver them. I just love the feeling that comes with it. It is one of the few days each year when more people are kind and let love fill their thoughts. I think it’s amazing that a holiday can bring about so much joy and peace, even for a small moment.
However, to me the Christmas spirit is slowly fading. The younger kids are more concerned with getting their brand-new toys, and once unwrapping is over, the excitement is gone and they are back in a funk until next December. I have had several conversations about this predicament. Each has one thing in common: We are all sad that teenagers seem more excited about Christmas than kids.
The movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is the perfect example of this. I feel like little Cindy Lou Who singing, “Where are you, Christmas?” It seems more people today are in a hurry to buy presents or get food and no one is stopping and just enjoying the feel of the holidays. Christmas is not just for the religious members of the community to celebrate. It’s a day for everyone to come together and celebrate love, life and friendship at the closing of another year. So why is it that Dec. 25 is feeling like just another day?
Classic Christmas movies just feel like boring, old reruns now. People complain about having to hear Christmas music even though it only comes around once a year. It seems that every year more and more people have a reason to be grouchy about something. Are we all turning into Scrooges?
Instead of complaining that “Deck the Halls” is on again, why not remember the time when Aunt Sue sang it while putting up the Christmas tree? Instead of groaning that yet another thing is gingerbread-flavored, why not think of the time Grandma used to spend hours decorating a gingerbread house?
These famous songs and flavors are a tradition. Traditions are made to remind people of the past and teach them lessons. “White Christmas” is more than just a song by an old, famous person. For me, it reminds me of helping my mom cook on Christmas Eve while my little brothers and cousins are running around and playing. Sure, the song can get repetitive, but the memory is timeless. I don’t ever want to forget it. That’s why every year, I pull out my Bing Crosby music and listen to it.
Too many people are missing the point of the holiday. It’s the same one every year, but there is a reason for that. The lessons and memories behind it are too important to be forgotten. So pull out the old Christmas music and family videos. Remind the younger kids why Christmas is even a holiday in the first place. Otherwise, it will become just a day like any other.
Peatross is a senior at Tooele High School.
