You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But do you recall the most annoying holiday of all? Yup. That’s right. Christmas time is my least favorite time of the year.

I don’t see this time of year as the jolliest or the most wonderful time of the year - and I know I’m not the only one feeling this way.

When I tell people that I’m not the biggest fan of the holiday season they look at me like there’s something wrong with me, like I have six heads or some infectious disease. And then people ask me if I just don’t like having time off of school or if I’m not a fan of Christmas because I never get what I ask for. Because those are what Christmas is really supposed to represent, right?

I hate what Christmas has become. We start seeing Christmas decorations out in stores before Halloween, and then more so before Thanksgiving. This takes away the thunder of these holidays. I mean, nowadays what do people do on Thanksgiving? They talk and plan all day what their shopping plans are for that night and then they stuff their faces with turkey and mashed potatoes and then head out shopping. If they even do that. There're people out there who skip out on Thanksgiving to get in line for the best deals on the hottest new toys, electronics and clothes.

Everything has strayed away from what the holiday season is all about; it is all materialistic. When you ask someone if they had a good holiday, more often than not, they bring up what they got for Christmas. Everything revolves around the stuff we get, not the time spent with our families, or the memories made, or giving thanks for what we already have. We have drifted so far from what the true meaning of Christmas is, and that’s why I don’t like this time of year. It brings out the worst in people.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be about being gracious for the things we have received in life, like our family, our happiness, and our health. It’s not supposed to be about getting the best deals on a new iPhone or a big fancy TV.

Christmas is supposed to be about celebrating the birth of Jesus. It’s about spending time with loved ones. It’s about being jolly and doing festive activities like decorating your Christmas tree and baking holiday cookies and making memories with your friends and family. It’s not what it is now. It’s not about getting the coolest and most expensive presents. It’s not about that, but that’s what it’s about now.

And that’s why I dislike the holiday season.