The essay SantaLand Diaries by David Sedaris is definitely a piece of fun and a great opportunity to improve your mood in case you feel sad. It is the story of the author, somewhat exaggerated about the way he worked as an elf in "SantaLand" at Macy's department store. The way he describes the stories he witnessed and took part in at work is really entertaining and interesting. Moreover, it makes me also think about the role of Christmas in my life and the way this holiday is celebrated.
I do not completely share the attitude of Sedaris to the holiday, which is rather sarcastic, emphasizing the role of commerce in it. I realize that today, in our highly commercialized world, it is useless to deny this aspect of the holiday. However, it is not a reason to completely give up on it and stop to see all the other senses in it. Yes, there is commerce, but for me the holiday does not end at this point.
I think that Christmas first of all is a family time. For kids it is a magical time when the whole family gathers and spends time in all this beautiful snow and unforgettable atmosphere. Presents also make the mystery and add special flavor to the holiday. As we grow up, and get more distant from the family, it is a great chance to reunite with it, see the people, who care about you and who love you. With the flow of time for many people, it is one of the few days in the year to see the family and connect with it.
I understand that for people who for some reason do not have a family, this holiday, may be a difficult time that will another time remind them of some loneliness that surrounds them. Still, it is not a reason to make this holiday sad for the other people. It is definitely a perfect time to start over some new period in life, turn over another page and change your life for the better. No matter in what situation you currently are, there is always something more that you can strive for. It is in fact another reason why I love Christmas.
For me Christmas is all about union, not only with the family, but between all the people. There is always a special atmosphere formed in the time of the holiday, and even when there is only preparation to it. People are united in the search for the presents, in decoration of their homes, no matter in which countries they live, what their background is. I think that it is a real-life magic, which should definitely be present in our lives. People around the world have similar feelings about the world, which is why this holiday is really great.
Another magic about the holiday is the way most people start to create in this period. They start inventing and finding some decorations, plan how they will make their home a better and more magical place. They start to remember those people, whom they want to give a present and prepare this present usually with love and gratitude. In this time there are new talents revealed that make people look at themselves in another way than before. We can also observe how our attitude to this people changes, how relationships mature and how we can apply some skills and knowledge that we acquired within this year in the preparation of gifts.
I am sure that in this holiday there is a lot of love. People feel it for other people, for God, for their homes, parents and many other things. Moreover, they not only feel it, but usually have to express it in the form of words of congratulations, some presents and other. In our busy and fast-developing world, all too often we do not have enough time to think over such feelings and feel them completely. Thus, for some people this holiday becomes a difficult one because it make them go through feelings that they are hiding from the others and from themselves. I do not think that it is a bad aspect of the holiday. Hiding the true senses from oneself is not a healthy situation and is very disappointing in fact. It can even lead to some illnesses and depression. Christmas makes the hidden feelings visible to the person, and I think that it is its another benefit. Another thing is the way the person treats these revealed senses, as there is always a choice – they can either plunge into some self-guilt, pity, or decide to accept the situation and change it for better. I am sure that every person can benefit from the holiday if he/she wants it.
I think that treating the holiday in just one chosen direction, especially if it is the sarcastic one solely, is not good for the person. In this way, one deprives oneself of the immense joy that could be experienced in case the holiday is treated in any other way, or the one that I have described above that unites several approaches at once. In fact, I believe that it is an easier way out to treat it only negatively – it is always not difficult to treat something badly, grumble about it and do nothing as a result. It is always harder to be honest to yourself, face your situation in life without sarcasm and make the first decisive steps to change it for the better.
Overall, I understand that the feelings towards Christmas similar to David Sedaris have their place in the life of people, but I think that it is not the complete picture. For me Christmas has a lot of love, opportunities and some special magic. I am sure that people have to use every opportunity to think over their lives and change them for the better, and this holiday is definitely a perfect chance to do it. I think that going by the easier path can be tempting, but there are much less results in this case and no personal development. Thus, in this case, your efforts receive maximum benefit, as they not just allow you to celebrate holiday, but also provide a strong basis and motivation for the further development and personal growth. I hope that every year of my life I will be able to treat the holiday in the way I do now, as it is really great.
