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 We are a species which loves celebrations and parties. We also seem to feel a great need for ceremonies to honor all make and manner of things great and small. I'm certainly not one to quibble with having a good time or honoring something worthy, but I do have a few thoughts on the subject. As I write this (a
week prior to Thanksgiving), we are becoming increasingly ensnared in what is
often referred to as "the Holiday season". This is the time of the year when
the retailers try to turn the "Christmas spirit" into massive sales, when people
who wouldn't think twice about stomping all over you to get ahead during the
rest of the year suddenly begin to espouse "peace on Earth and good will towards
men", when people who don't talk to you all year suddenly send you beautiful and
expensive cards blaring out "Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for the New Year",
and when children will be forced to write "Thank you" notes to people they've
never met expressing their appreciation for the gifts of socks and
incorrectly-sized clothing.Have you noticed that
"the Christmas season" gets longer and longer and longer every year? This year,
I noticed the gaudy lights, annoying music, and product advertising beginning to
pop up a couple of weeks before Halloween. If I ever become President, my first
official act will be an Executive Order making it illegal to start the push for
one holiday before the preceding holiday has come and gone. I think the most
enjoyable Christmas season I've ever spent was in 1993 while I was living in
Izmir, Turkey. Turkey, of course, is an Islamic country and "Christmas" has no
meaning there. It was truly a great pleasure not to be inundated with the
blatant commercialism and hypocrisy that typically infests the season here in
the US. It was also rather funny to notice the seeming confusion among most of
the other Americans there who seemed a bit lost without the familiar Christmas
cacaphony.Birthdays are another
observance that most people seem to blow way out of proportion. If you think
about it, is there really anything special about that one particular day? You
really aren't any different than you were the day before. How would one observe
birthdays if they moved to another planet where the length of a "day" and a
"year" were significantly different from that experienced on the Earth? More
than anything, birthdays seem to be little more than an excuse to buy yourself
something that you just couldn't justify at any other time. Of course, they're
also a good excuse to get gifts and special consideration from
others...*grin*Another interesting
custom is the "special day" when somebody or something is honored. These run
the gamut from Federal holidays like Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday to things
like National Secretaries' Day. Why do we need to set aside a special day for
this? Can we not honor these people at any time of the year? Now, some will
say that we might forget to render proper honors without these special days.
Well, if there is any real concern about forgetfulness, might it just be
conceivable that there may not be a pressing need for the honors in the first
place? For example, MLK's message should be remembered and honored throughout
the year. Same with "peace on Earth", giving thanks for what we have, and
honoring one's parents.Admittedly, there are
good reasons for holidays and observances. Most people would rarely, if ever,
get a day off from work without them. The blatant consumerism surrounding them
certainly benefits the economy. There are certain family and societal benefits
realized from how people act during holiday time. And, I suppose there are more
than a few people who would never act civilized if there wasn't some holiday
compelling them to temporarily change their ways.So, while I may not
join the crowd in getting all euphoric over the approach of any given holiday,
I'll certainly hope that they will be enjoyable times for everyone. Me? I
enjoy the entire year!E-mail: mlbakke1@earthlink.net Earthlink Network Home Page |