It seems that every year, Christmas seeps into the world a little earlier than before. It also seems that every year, the number of people who push back against this early intrusion grows.
While I agree with the pushback against the commercial aspects of Christmas, I feel that there has been too much aggression towards those of us who enjoy playing Christmas music a little early, or maybe starting to decorate a little sooner. So, instead of us being mature adults who can handle our different opinions, we like to groan and moan about people starting to prepare for Christmas early. In the nightmarish hellscape that has been known as the year 2016, we are so bitter and unhappy as a society that we turn against those seeking a little cheer and happiness in a dark time.
Well, let me tell you why some of us choose to welcome the Christmas season a little early, especially in a year like this.
1. This Year Has Been Garbage
So I think we can all agree that 2016 has been a pretty awful year. Between our favorite celebrities like David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Gene Wilder, Natalie Cole, Harper Lee, Prince, along with so many many others being called back home, to our less favorite celebrities being elected President of the United States, to wars and death and those damn clowns, this year has been like getting a roundhouse kick to the balls by your own grandfather. This year, humanity has been pushed through the Shawshank Redemption sewer pipe, but we’ve end up drowning in the pool of dung at the end. It’s almost like we had a Purge: Celebrities sort of deal going on, which I have not been a fan of. Because of the veritable storm of garbage and broken dreams that this year has become representative of, we need Christmas even more than ever before. So pop on a little Nat King Cole and shut "yo mouth."
2. It’s a La Niña Year
This year, for many parts of North America, will be absolutely spectacular due to the fact that we are in a La Niña year. This means that much of the United States will be covered with more snow than normal! That's pretty exciting, even for you Scroogy monsters. Do you know what snow means? It means water! Do you know what water means, especially in California? Water means food to shove into your whiney mouths, meaning one less thing for you to complain about you miserable trolls.
3. Because It’s Almost Christmas
For many of us, Christmas represents so much more than the birth of Christ and getting to open presents. Christmas is the time of year family comes together in love for one another. It’s about the celebrations that we had as children with people now long gone. It’s remembering the people who sat in now empty chairs. People who we won’t get to celebrate with anymore. Family who have dispersed across the country and across the world. For many of us, Christmas is bittersweet. It conjures wonderful images of all of the cousins sleeping on the floor of grandma and grandpa’s bedroom listening for the clomping of reindeer hooves on the roof, while reminding us that we will never have that again.
We need to stop shaming people for embracing Christmas a little early simply because it brings them some extra joy. Let’s start embracing our love for Christmas and allowing it to seep through early at times!