Why I hate Christmas

I don’t hate Christmas on its own, but the consumerism that drives the holiday makes me want to, as Andy would say, throw a house.

Schools from all over the county are having the students write Dear Santa wish lists. The newspaper will then publish them.

I want a iPod. I want a Jeep. I want a razor phone. I want a dirt bike. I want a lap top. I want some money.

We want to know where greed comes from? It starts in Kindergarden. Or at least is institutionalized then.

What do kids think? First of all, that if they are “good” they will get what is on their wish list. They say they love Santa. But that definition of love is based on one thing and one thing only: receiving materialistic items.

I hope and pray my future children will know that love can never be measured by what is solely tangible.

Christmas supposedly is about good will to all men. I don’t see how this is anything but the opposite of that. I know that consumerism and greed follows us wherever we go. It is not simply something birthed in only the fortunate ones living in first-world countries.

For as I would walk the streets of Honduras with one of my students, he would say “Buy me this, buy me that” consistently. And he is what many Americans consider “less fortunate.” But I tried to instill in him the idea that he does not need all that he sees. And of course, he taught me to look at this concept in my own life.

I wish that students would make lists of things they are thankful for instead of what they want. Or that they would make a list of things they wish Santa would give another child. Or instead of making lists at all, they would learn about the millions of children all over the world whose parents can’t afford Christmas at all. If Christmas is for giving, why are we as a society watering the seed of selfishness?