Remember when you were a child and Christmas really was the best day ever. You would wake up in the middle of the night and squeeze the stocking at the end of your bed, willing the morning to come. Every year you would marvel at how Santa and Rudolph silently ate up the treats you left out for them: a half eaten carrot and half drunk glass of baileys as well as some mince pie crumbs would greet you in the morning. But, the best thing about Christmas wasn’t necessarily the day itself. It was the run up. At school you would spend your last days of term watching christmas films and making decorations that your parents have lovingly displayed every year ever since their- slap-dash-creation. Decorating the Christmas tree was one of the best days of the year:coating it in as much gold tinsel and baubles as possible. Back then, Christmas started from the first of December but now that we’re all grown up, it never really feels like Christmas at all.
It’s a well known fact that Christmas will never be the same once you find out that father Christmas doesn’t’t exist. I remember my seven year old self being extremely disappointed after that particular playground revelation. But, as I got over it began to make more sense: ‘Mrs Claus’ had the same writing as my mum after all. There is no denying that finding out santa wasn’t real took some of the fun and excitement out of Christmas.
Choosing presents for friends and family is stressful. Christmas shopping is stressful. Watching people receive and open your presents is also stressful. There is nothing worse then putting time and effort into picking out a present that you think someone will love, only to find out that they’ve never used it or that they’ve taken it back. Moreover, many students have a part time job in retail: nothing says Christmas spirit like hoards of angry customers complaining about the long queue and messy shop floor.
However, the biggest reason why Christmas has lost its magic is due to an increased awareness of how lucky you are: to be spending Christmas with loved ones, with a lovely meal and even with a roof over your head. Sometimes, Christmas strikes me as hugely selfish. While we eat and spend more than we should, there is someone without the means to eat at all or without a penny to spend. Therefore, as you get older the excess associated with Christmas magic is tainted by an increasing awareness and understanding of the ills of the world.