In years gone by, people would have complained about early Christmas stock in shops and over-eager household decorators. However, 2020 is not a time for cynicism. Most shops still remained closed, you would be lucky to find one pub (never mind 12) and the traditional, joyous homecomings to the Departures lounge of Dublin Airport remain uncertain.
This year, we have bigger worries on our mind than over-zealous advertising.
Cork County Council has encouraged businesses and families alike to decorate their premises two weeks ahead of what would normally be the usual schedule. Mariah Carey, the embodiment of Christmas herself showcased her readiness for the Christmas season along with many other celebrity counterparts.
The quest for a ‘simple Christmas’ sounds like a scene from a Hallmark movie. A ‘simple Christmas’ is a notion pushed quickly to the side at the very mention of the Late Late Toy Show. This year, a simple Christmas will not be a lifestyle choice. The regular components of a traditional Christmas (reuniting large numbers of close contacts, not social distancing at work parties and even last minute dashes to overcrowded department stores) are no longer possible.
In the darkest parts of the world, Christmas lights stay up well into January (proven to be the most depressing month of the year). Lockdown restrictions in Spring, and lockdown restrictions during dark winter days are two entirely different things. Christmas day in a sense has been repeated already for eight months of our calendar year and not by choice.
We rarely leave the house and crowd around the TV watching shows we have seen countless times before. Christmas day is celebrated for its rarity, a brief escape from the rat-race of modern life. In 2020, a “chill” day seems a lot more like Groundhog Day as the cabin fever heightens.
The 25th of December is nestled between the darkest months of the year. For pagans, the winter solstice (December 21st) was cause to celebrate. The sun had once again overcome the power of the darkness, and brighter days were once again on their way.
Experts have found connections between feelings of nostalgia and Christmas. Christmas reminds us of our childhood whilst releasing the chemicals in our brains that make us happy. It is no wonder that people are chasing that Christmas countdown rush. In the UK, a poll conducted by John Lewis revealed that a third of people were planning an earlier Christmas. Christmas tree sales were up 128% since this time last year.
In 1897, eight-year old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the New York’s Sun’s editor asking a question that crosses the minds of many young children. “Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?” The Editor quickly penned a now infamous response, a response that has become the basis for many books and films throughout the decades. “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”
He went on to say that a world without Santa Claus would be a very miserable world indeed, a world where realism trumps hope and where things always have to be seen to be believed.
“Thank God! He lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”
As human beings we have to believe in better days. We put up our trees and lights, relish in the comfort in the things that did not change when everything changed, cry at relatable adverts and hope for a far brighter new year.