Christmas Cheer

Has the light gone out of Christmas?

Photo by Geoffrey Moffett on Unsplash

I indicate my intention to park when a lull in the traffic congestion finally appears. A white Tesla backs up behind me, only to show refreshing patience as I manoeuvre in. I turn to look ahead just as a speeding white van nearly takes off my wing. Me first, he yells silently through the glass, his face contorted with rage.

Unperturbed, given this is a regular occurrence during the festive season, I amble towards the urine-stinking underpass, where I dodge a fresh pile of vomit from the night before. Why is it always carrots? Who are these people who eat carrots every day? The culprit appears to have he forgotten his glasses, too. I wonder briefly if he’ll come back for them, but I try not to hold onto the thought of such a gruesome spectacle for too long (ha, see what I did there!)

I reach the nearest supermarket, which churns out a tinny Christmas tune over the Tannoy, reminiscent of the magic of yuletides of yore. Sadly, it’s not working. It’s hardly any wonder there are no modern Christmas songs now.

A balding assistant manager, red-faced and ill-tempered, slams his jam trolley into a nearby colleague lift. A customer has just challenged him vociferously over a much-wanted Christmas gift set, which is now out of stock. Why don’t you have it? Christmas isn’t finished yet, she screeched at him wildly.

Meanwhile, in Aisle Three, two women are bickering over who should take the last box of mince pies. Trolleys gather up behind them, with no one brave enough to challenge them with a polite Excuse me! This does not gel with the schmaltzy Christmas adverts on our TV sets every evening.

Expectations vs. reality playing out right there

When did Christmas get so rage-y? Have we lost its true meaning? Christmas stock comes to the shops in August; music is blasted over the radio from late October onwards. Trees go up in the middle of November, which was unheard of twenty years ago.

The build-up is massive, and with that comes the pressure to have the perfect Christmas. Add that to the cocktail of financial worries, time constraints, and overpacked schedules, and it is no surprise that roughly a quarter of people say that Christmas has a negative impact on their mental health. Predictably, women seem to be the most susceptible to seasonal stress as they carry the bulk of the mental load.

Perhaps it is time to look at how we approach this season on a societal level? We should question how long the Christmas period should last, say no to social obligations, and consider whether a small present would be just as gratefully received as a bigger one.

After all, the origins of the celebration were not meant to be about excess or stress. The state Christmas gets people into has called into question as to whether it’s appropriate to celebrate it at all.

As for me? I’m sorely tempted to migrate to some desert island somewhere until the madness has passed.