Christmas Eve - people are so full of expectation! Pictures on the internet of utter chaos in crowded supermarkets. I remember in my youth when they were closed for several days over Christmas, as well as every Sunday and all evenings. So it was understandable that people rushed to the shops at the last minute. But what is the need for panic buying? Are they so disorganised from week to week that the idea of one big special meal requires extraordinary logistics?
It surprises me that people cling to the idea of doing the same thing over and again, relentlessly. I'm verging on the autistic spectrum, with slight OCD traits, but I get no comfort from mindlessly repeating a day into all eternity - although I understand the human need for ritual.
Why make a special thing at Christmas about things you wouldn't choose to do all year round. If having a meal with family or friends is so marvellous, why do not it more regularly (and yes, I know, many families have members who fly half way round the world for Christmas, but that shouldn't preclude the others getting together at other times)?
And turkey! If turkey was so great, why don't people eat it at other times of the year? You never see anyone naming their favourite food as turkey. People enjoy roast beef or chicken all year round. I have it on good authority that free-range turkey is pretty tasty, but I know that doesn't apply to dry, frozen supermarket battery turkey that feeds most people.
I'm not a fan of Christmas, and those aren't the reasons. Frantic consumerism revolts me, with its drive to spend yet more money on buying Stuff and Things. Empty gestures to Acquaintances you'd rather not give time to during the year. Parents compensating for their Guilt at not liking their children very much - easier to buy the hyped over-advertised toys once a year than to spend time - and money - giving them unforgettable experiences. I still have some of my toys and can remember who gave them to me, but I see people nowadays sending so many toys to children who don't know and won't remember who sent them, don't really want them, and don't miss them when they are sent to a boot sale. As for TV ads that advocate dumping, selling or 're-gifting' unwanted presents - these are downright offensive. If you don't want a present, say so. Save someone else a bit of money and energy - maybe they can donate it to a good cause. How rude and ungrateful is it to auction it off?
Thankfully, I have never been affected directly or indirectly but Christmas is a time when suicide, relationship breakdowns and domestic violence peak. How much is inherent - people who manage to avoid each other most of the year being forced together on cold dark days?
How much is brought on by the vulgar coalition of advertising and popular media creating unrealistic expectations? People who are content in their solitude the year round, or who seek solace in fleeting human encounters are driven to introspection at the belief that everyone else - as portrayed on TV - is part of loving supportive welcoming families. This is far from true, but I have never seen the other reality portrayed on TV, except as a butt of comedy.
You never see the people being visited by home helps and district nurses, the people for whom Christmas is no different from any other day as they care for a partner with dementia or a child that never sleeps more than an hour and has several fits a day. The media never portray people with eating disorders, or Spoonies for whom the extra effort and stimulus may lead to several days in bed.
Christmas can be great. It's the name that my culture gives to the ubiquitous celebration of lights in a time of darkness. We battle the cold with comforting high fat high sugar foods. We take a few days off from the daily routine, a break form builders noise, scam phone calls, the drudgery of routine chores.
Some of us take time off from paid work. Others may receive overtime, or travel to work in peace, or relish the thought of having time off when people like me will be working. Some may enjoy the financial benefits of seasonal employment. Many restaurants and theatres depend on the Christmas specials to sustain their businesses all year long.
I just wish more people would shop at local and independent shops, in order to ensure their ongoing existence, rather than turning to the chains who make super-normal profits whilst paying their staff so poorly - if at all - they require subsidy from taxpayers in order to take their place in consumerist society.
