Before you “at” me or cancel me for not basking in the holiday spirit, let me regale you with the reasons I’ve never bothered to write much holiday-themed content. Early on in my weblogging career, I might have penned a Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas-related piece, but only if I was feeling particularly festive or there was some trending topic I was trying to chase. Alas, those days have passed, sod now the holiday season, commencing immediately after Halloween, fills me with as much joy as getting a root canal.
Now, I can tolerate Halloween. There’s something charming about the creativity inspired by All Hallows’ Eve, even if I personally don’t participate much in its celebration. My grumpiness starts as soon as the Halloween candy is on clearance and everyone’s eyes shift to the impending doom of year-end celebrations.
December is now overrun by a discordant racket of holiday-themed drivel on social media and blogs. Gift guides that could double as year-round shopping lists, Thanksgiving recipes that somehow look the same as last year’s, Christmas decoration ideas (mostly just add glitter!), and top ten lists of favorite holiday whatevers — I find it all dreadfully derivative. It’s not that there’s zero value in these posts; it’s just that they’re the same regurgitated content with different brand names slapped on each year.
Maybe it’s the cynicism that comes with nearly four decades of existence, but the commercialization of the holidays has reached grotesque levels. Black Friday sales, which apparently begin on November 1st now, are proof of our insatiable consumerist gluttony. Kudos to the retailers for their savvy keyword optimization, but what good does this endless cycle of overconsumption do for society?
Sure, sometimes I stumble upon genuinely heartfelt stories during the holiday season. These nuggets of authenticity are a breath of fresh air in a sea of sales pitches disguised as holiday cheer. I understand that people need to make a living, but that doesn’t mean I have to join the charade. Whenever I’ve dabbled in holiday-themed content, it felt like throwing a snowball into an inferno, most of it was pointless and quickly forgotten. Trends are fleeting, and my interest in them is purely retrospective, mostly for chuckles.
This diatribe has taken a snarky turn, but there are personal reasons I largely ignore the holiday season. Yes, I give gifts, but they are often handmade or practical. I have no use for the frivolous excess that adds no lasting value. For many, holidays are heartwarming times of shared times among family and friends; but for many others, they are a nightmare of forced awkwardness and obligatory gift-giving. Bless whoever invented gift cards, right? (In the modern sense, apparently gift cards only been around since the mid-90’s!) The whole spectacle is absurd.
Despite these grumblings, whenever you stumble upon this rant, I genuinely wish everyone a delightful holiday season. I’m not here to bash the holidays themselves, especially for those who revel in them. I simply find no joy in them anymore; they’re just another day for me. If you pity me, save it for someone else. I’m just aging into a cynical Grinch. So, I’ll leave holiday content to the younglings hustling for clicks and commissions.
Happy holidays, everybody.
~ Amelia Desertsong
