Should we ban Christmas?: No
By Amy Wall | Nov 24 2009
Amy Wall shares the joys of the season and reckons Christmas is a time for all, regardless of religion or creedDon’t you just love Christmas? The lights are sparkling on O’Connell Street, the festive buzz is practically universal, and everywhere seems to be dusted with a hint of magic.Christmas is generally considered the big one - the huge holiday that not only marks the end of the year, but also the birth of the saviour, in a shed of all places, but nonetheless…Christmas is a time of year that instills warmth and happiness. It is a time when we can take a break from our busy lifestyles, to just sit down and enjoy the moment. So aside from all those warm fuzzy images, what else makes Christmas so great?
Santa. Whether you still believe in him or not, the magic of Mr Claus is awesome. While you have probably been roped into helping your parents with the annual 3am wrapping of gifts for your younger siblings at this stage, you have to admit, you still get just a little bit excited.Christmas is a time to bring out your inner child. It’s a time where you can let go of that tough twenty-something façade and remember how much fun you used to have on Christmas Eve - leaving out some Christmas cake, some Guinness and a carrot for ol’ Rudolph, and fighting back the powers of sleep just so you could try and catch a glimpse of the man himself. Truly magical.Christmas also highlights what is really important to us: our families and friends. On Christmas Day, we can really wind down and just spend quality time with each other – time that we don’t tend to appreciate during the rest of the year when there are constant demands and other pressures placed on us. Christmas Day is a day where we can forget about work or college, surround ourselves with our nearest and dearest and really, sincerely, enjoy it. Shouldn’t we enjoy time with our loved ones all year round? Sure, we should. All I’m saying is that at Christmas, your sense of goodwill and love really expands – so we tend to enjoy it a lot more.Many people argue that one of the negative aspects of Christmas is that instead of being focussed on peace and joy, the holidays have become a time of empty consumerism with greedy companies looking for profit.While this may be true, we can’t judge everyone based on this fact. On the contrary, many people go out and do something incredibly selfless at Christmas time. During the holiday, we realise just how lucky we are. This gratitude is something that many of us extend to other people. In fact, it is estimated that around 6,000 people will take part in this year’s Concern Christmas Fast, which will take place on 3rd December.Christmas is a time for peace and joy. In more recent years, it seems that the distinctly overt religious tones have died down a bit. Instead the holiday has become more about showing those we love that we appreciate them, being kind to each other and including each other in our celebrations. Think of all those promising Christmas parties you have lined up once the dreaded semester one exams finish. Christmas is all about having fun, being merry, meeting some new friends as well as old and having a bit of much needed craic!No matter what religious or spiritual path you subscribe to, the main message of Christmas is love: simple, but effective. Now who is to say that we all can’t enjoy that message? Just make sure you remember it when you’re awoken by your younger siblings at 4am on Christmas morning.