Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown

I'm going to take a break from the Summer of Darkness story line and write about something more seasonally appropriate. I'm going to say a few words about everyone's favorite holiday: Christmas. And I say "BAH, HUMBUG!" They call it the "most wonderful time of the year," but I call bullcrap on that one. "GASP," you say, "You Grinch! You Scrooge! How can you hate Christmas!" Well, I don't hate Christmas. I hate the effect that people's idea of Christmas has had on society. I have two main problems: one, the Christmas shopping season seems to overshadow another, more important, American holiday. And two, people have completely lost what the actual meaning of Christmas is.

     It seems lately that the official start of the Christmas shopping season, Black Friday, has become more of a holiday than Thanksgiving. Black Friday has always started early, but last year it started as early as eight o'clock on Thanksgiving night. This year it was even earlier, starting at six p.m. At six o'clock on Thanksgiving, people should be at home eating dinner with their families, not waiting in line to get a TV at 50% off. Stores should be closed on Thanksgiving so that everyone, employees included, can be with their families. My mom works at Wal-Mart and because of how early Black Friday started, she was forced to work a 12 to 9 shift. Because of that, we couldn't spend Thanksgiving together as a family.

     The two most popular holidays are Christmas and Halloween. Can someone tell me why? Thanksgiving is one of the most important holidays in our American heritage. So why is a is a holiday about (according to some people) a fat dude handing out presents and a holiday based around scaring demons away (only enjoyable to kids ages 13 and under) more popular than the holiday celebrating one of the most important moments in our history!?

     In addition, people have completely lost sight of what Christmas is about. They lie to their children about a centuries old fat guy who breaks into your house at night, steals your milk and cookies, and leaves presents behind. All while riding around in a sleigh drawn by flying reindeer. Not only is the lying bad, but it teaches kids to be selfish, greedy little snots who think of Christmas as a way to get more "stuff." Christmas isn't about getting things, it's about the act of giving! The idea of Santa Clause completely takes away the giving aspect of Christmas and replaces it with "get." In Acts chapter 20, verse 35 it says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

     And since when was Christmas about Santa Clause anyway? I grew up being taught that Christmas was a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The birth of the Savior who came to save us from sin! Not a day to see how many presents a fictitious fat man brought you. Linus in A Charlie Brown Christmas got it spot on.

     Christmas is about the birth of the Prince of Peace, but every year I hear of someone getting injured or killed after being trampled in the chaos of a Black Friday sale. People will go around saying that they know the true meaning of Christmas. Saying that it is the "most wonderful time of the year." Saying they want to spread peace, happiness, and joy. But they are all too willing to trample an old lady or store employee to death to get that microwave at 75% off.

     So go ahead, call me Scrooge. Just remember, at the end of the story, Scrooge knows the true meaning of Christmas. That is a lot more than could be said about a lot of people out there.