Comic made by Shruthi Subramaniyan.
I’m sure you’re used to reading the stale boring take that the consumerist Christmas that we all know and love is a bastardization of the holiday. It’s everywhere. From the Charlie Brown Christmas special to your broke friend who is just looking for an excuse not to buy you a present, everyone seems to be in agreement: buying things is not the true meaning of the Holidays. But what if we didn’t have to deny ourselves joy in the name of some vague appeal to traditional values? What if we accepted what we already know? Christmas and consumerism go hand in hand, and I don’t think we should have to feel bad about that.
Think about it. Ever since you were a kid, what were you the most excited about when Christmas came around? The presents. You can pretend that you were some morally enlightened toddler but really deep down we all just want to get gifts. It’s human nature. There’s a reason that Christmas is the only holiday that dominates two (sometimes three) months out of the year. No other holiday prioritizes gift-getting as much as Christmas does.
Speaking of Christmas’ death grip on the public, Christmas is not only a holiday but a spectacle. It is weeks and weeks of themed drinks, decorations, music and events. We buy decorations to decorate not only for the day itself but for the whole month of December. And it’s fun. Even the most blatant Christmas haters have to admit that it’s just plain fun. What people don’t want to admit is that the fun is directly because of our consumerist culture. If there weren’t things to buy then the holiday would fade into obscurity with the same significance as Arbor Day.
Now, some people may appeal to your morals. Consumerism is killing the planet and all that. But consumerism is killing the planet all year long so who really cares if it’s a little worse during the holidays? Isn’t it worth it to be a little happier? The thing about all those people whining about how evil the consumerism of the holidays is, is that they’re all miserable sadsacks who have never felt an ounce of joy in their lives. There’s no need for all of us to suffer because a couple people insist on being depressed during the happiest time of the year in the name of feeding their own superiority complex.
So go out and buy stuff, guilt free! Buy presents, decorations, cards, wrapping paper, and any other overpriced seasonal product your heart desires! Give in to what you know you want, and just consume. That’s really what the holiday season is all about. Sure, there’s love and peace and all that crap, but at the end of the day it’s really just about buying stuff. After all, how is anyone supposed to know that you really love them unless you get them a suitable present? Everyone knows it and you’re not doing yourself any favors by pretending that you don’t. Give in to the hype and have a merry Christmas shopping experience!
Anna Davis is a senior at Washington High School and she grew up in Fremont, California. This is her first year writing for The Hatchet and she hopes to cover topics such as student culture and art. She is the president of the Creative Writing Club. She is also the Technical Coordinator for the Performing Arts Club and has stage managed multiple productions for the club. She hopes to one day become a professional author but until then she wants to study creative writing, history, or sociology in college.