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With the recent snowfall that draped London in a cold, white blanket, our Christmas spirit has all but thawed. This is the time of year that causes everything from extreme joy to extreme stress.

This is all reflected in the family-orientated Christmas films that run constantly throughout December, where the archetypal family runs into comedic problems and solves them through the power of the holidays. Underlying the plot of these films is this question, what is the meaning of Christmas? What does the perfect Christmas mean to us?

I could barely give an answer to either question. As someone who is rather apathetic about Christmas, and loathes the consumerist aspect of it, I find it difficult to really define what it even is anymore let alone push myself to be entirely supportive of it. I think it's important to recognize the meaning of this holiday and to understand what it has historically stood for and what it has become today.

For Christians, this day typically encompasses the celebration of Jesus' miraculous divine birth. For many non-Christians, the day is to celebrate family and peace. For others, it's just another civic holiday — a break from their studies and occupations.

As magical as it is, Christmas has some underlying issues that I don't think are addressed very often. Typically in the season, the stress amounted to visiting extended family (with a French-Canadian background myself, the word “extended” should be italicized) and the obligation to buy gifts are some that make this season more trouble than it's worth.

For many, this is normal. I mean, if you don't buy a gift for someone on this day, how can you truly say that you care? What kind of relationship would you have with your family if you didn't showcase your utmost respect via material items? I think this question is only pondered whenever someone expresses dissatisfaction with the season and is hastily forgotten afterwards. I find this to be degrading and my willpower to even discuss the subject is running out of fuel.

Our relationships should not be defined by favours and material items for these things happen daily without notice and often without thanks. It's difficult to say whether this is human nature or a product of the culture we live in. I feel as if this season's original message as a simple Christian holiday has been warped to become a holiday that is defined by markets and consumerism.

It should not be news to people that gifts and celebration of a specific religious figure is not on the plate of concern for everyone at this time. More than once, I've seen expensive gifts exchanged in a public school setting between privileged children while the less fortunate look on.

I think the most painful thing to envision is the life of a child who grows up along the mainstream lacking the expensive toys that their peers get, lacking the comfort of a tight-knit family, or lacking the initial religious beliefs that Christmas is based around in the first place.

That alienating feeling is something that I've personally found to be very misunderstood by a large portion of privileged society and dismissed as pure whining whenever it's brought up.

I personally do not get too excited over this day for these reasons. I like the days off and I like being able to hang out with loved ones, but I don't particularly get excited over the holiday itself. I don't judge my relationships with people based on gifts and I don't spend tons of money and time on something that feels more like a social obligation than an actual obligation to maintain my relationship with someone.

I don't really say “Merry Christmas” because, as you can see, I'm not interested in it, but I'm not going to be offended by someone who does, because it means different things to different people.

I think someone can say whatever they feel like in these times, but that is halted by the dreaded “war on Christmas.” It is a tiresome argument that drones on with the same annual points and the same people throwing their fist in the air thinking that their beloved commercial holiday is somehow disappearing. From what I've seen, I can safely assure you that it's not going anywhere. Happy holidays.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.