The Christmas Curse

Written by Paige Farnworth | Media by Thomas Hajny

On November 1^st, I went shopping with my little sister in a Kohl’s department store. We were shopping, chatting, and bonding, when all of a sudden, I stopped dead in my tracks. An unpleasant noise attacked my ears: Christmas music.

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Mind you, it was the day after Halloween. Jack-o’-lanterns still out on front porches and kids still on candy sugar highs from the night before. Christmas music? Seriously? NO. It is not time yet!

Alas, the Christmas Curse is upon us. It’s the time of year when nothing matters more than preparing for all things Christmas. What are you going to buy for Christmas? How are you going to decorate for Christmas? What are you going to bake for Christmas? What are you going to wear for Christmas?

Don’t believe me? Walk in to your nearest Wal-Mart. Look at the ads you get in the mail. Watch the commercials you see on your television. Listen to the radio. Already, two months ahead of time, Christmas preparations have started.

While some people agree with me, I know others are going to call me a Grinch. Do not get me wrong, I love Christmas. Who wouldn’t love a holiday where families gather, presents are shared, and we celebrate the birth of our savior? Christmas is a big deal. But guess what? It is not Christmas yet.

Beautiful Christmas lights hung up the night after Halloween are not beautiful; they are annoying. While I have my fair share of favorite Christmas songs, radio stations playing them for two months straight ruins them for me. Do not even get me started on the people that have a countdown to next year’s Christmas started on December 26th.  Loving Christmas for the feelings it gives us is fine, but this feels a lot like obsession. By making Christmas and all of the superficial things that come with it an obsession, we are taking away from the true meaning of Christmas.

Of course, there are some things about Christmas that we would like to be prepared for. For example, it is important to plan gifts for our loved one, traveling needs, and feeding holiday guests. I understand that. Just remember, being prepared for the day and making the day an idol are two totally different things.

I am especially bothered by the celebrating of Christmas right after Halloween because of my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving, the holiday between Halloween and Christmas, is my favorite holiday of the year for many reasons. I mean, come on: family, parades, and FOOD! More than anything else, I enjoy sitting in an attitude of thankfulness for a change. Thanksgiving reminds me a lot of Christmas, but I don’t find myself distracted by my own selfishness and greed. Of all holidays to brush under the rug, why are we skipping over the one that encourages us to come together as a family and be thankful for what we have?

Let’s appreciate what we have in the moment. It is autumn. Let’s enjoy it. When Thanksgiving rolls around, let us enjoy it fully without Christmas in the back of our minds. Of course, when winter hits us, snow starts falling, and Christmas is within our sights, we should enjoy that as well.

I have decided that I am not going to listen to Christmas music until December. Actually, I declare that I will not have any unnecessary Christmas chatter until at least the start of December. Will you join me? Unless we are praising and thanking God for the birth of his Son, I do not see why Christmas needs to consume us before then.

Do not fall under the spell. Avoid the Christmas curse at all costs!

Want to read more from Paige? Check out some of her previous articles!