Technobabbles I try to sound like I know what I'm talking about. Don't be fooled.

And So It Begins… Thoughts on "The Holidays"

Once again, the day of first snowfall has beset this Northern state. Outside my window, I can see flakes falling and beginning to cover the grass outside. It's the time of year for the Macy's Parade; the time for Christmas carols; and the time of ringing bells outside department stores. It's the holiday season. The most wonderful time of the year.

Aw, who am I kidding? I'm not that sappy. Strike all that text up there; it's not me.

The holiday season is not the "most wonderful time of the year" to me. There's so much marketing, commercialization, and downright scamming going on this season that I just can't tolerate it anymore. The Hallmark cards, the thousands of Santas everywhere, the elves collecting donations... Never business as usual. And don't forget the trees everywhere. I don't object to colorful lights at all -- I rather enjoy them -- but the ornaments and angels, the stars and name-known babies, are too religious for my taste.

Remove the marketing, the ads, Santa, and all the other things we've inserted, and you're left with a religious celebration; a celebration that's been turned into a secular holiday, a break for the entire country. National holidays are all well and good. I've no objection to Memorial Day, Veterans' Day, July 4th -- they commemorate worthy events or people -- but taking religious festivals and making them into national holidays... Er, not my favorite thing.

Especially, consider that Thanksgiving is nothing more (as far as I know, of course) than a commemoration of the pilgrims' first fall here in the United States. Now consider the significant religious background of Christmas, the birth of Christ. The two holidays are based on completely different ideals and sources.

I don't mind Thanksgiving, because it's always been an excuse to get together with friends and family to have a nice meal with a long conversation, both before and after; and because it isn't the subject of a slew of marketing campaigns. The idea of having one day a year to get together, though, is questionable -- why not do it once a month (too infrequent), once a week (doable), every day (maybe too much)...? Sounds a lot like Mothers' and Fathers' Days. Are we only supposed to honor each of our parents one day of the year? I smell a Hallmark holiday...

Christmas, for all the reasons mentioned above and more, gets noisome after a while. I can only listen to "Deck the Halls" so many times without groaning -- or "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" without sighing -- and the never-ending carolers don't help. Whether broadcast on the radio, over the speaker system in a store or restaurant, sung by a professional choir loitering in the lobby of a skyscraper downtown, or simply hummed by people going about their business, Christmas carols have moved on from their role in church services to become part of popular culture.

The music is wonderful, don't get me wrong. Many of the best works were composed for the church: J. S. Bach's Brandenburgs, for example. But the carols we use today are simply overused. Pieces like William Tell's Overture and the 1812 Overture, and the Can-Can, have been played so many times that many people just sigh with annoyance when they are used again. Tell's piece is particularly overused, as background for chase scenes -- but that's a subject for a later post.

Please, feel free to voice your own interpretation of the holiday season in the comments. Anything that isn't openly harassing or aggressive will be allowed to stay, of course.

Once again, the day of first snowfall has beset this Northern state. Outside my window, I can see flakes falling and beginning to cover the grass outside. It's the time of year for the Macy's Parade; the time for Christmas carols; and the time of ringing bells outside department stores. It's the holiday season. The most wonderful time of the year. Aw, who am I kidding? I'm not that sappy. Strike all that text up there; it's not me. The holiday season is not the "most wonderful time of the year" to me. There's so much marketing, commercialization, and downright scamming going on this season that I just can't tolerate it anymore. The Hallmark cards, the thousands of Santas everywhere, the elves collecting donations... Never business as usual. And don't forget the trees everywhere. I don't object to colorful lights at all -- I rather enjoy them -- but the ornaments and angels, the stars and name-known babies, are too religious for my taste. Remove the marketing, the ads, Santa, and all the other things we've inserted, and you're left with a religious celebration; a celebration that's been turned into a secular holiday, a break for the entire country. National holidays are all well and good. I've no objection to Memorial Day, Veterans' Day, July 4th -- they commemorate worthy events or people -- but taking religious festivals and making them into national holidays... Er, not my favorite thing. Especially, consider that Thanksgiving is nothing more (as far as I know, of course) than a commemoration of the pilgrims' first fall here in the United States. Now consider the significant religious background of Christmas, the birth of Christ. The two holidays are based on completely different ideals and sources. I don't mind Thanksgiving, because it's always been an excuse to get together with friends and family to have a nice meal with a long conversation, both before and after; and because it isn't the subject of a slew of marketing campaigns. The idea of having one day a year to get together, though, is questionable -- why not do it once a month (too infrequent), once a week (doable), every day (maybe too much)...? Sounds a lot like Mothers' and Fathers' Days. Are we only supposed to honor each of our parents one day of the year? I smell a Hallmark holiday... Christmas, for all the reasons mentioned above and more, gets noisome after a while. I can only listen to "Deck the Halls" so many times without groaning -- or "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" without sighing -- and the never-ending carolers don't help. Whether broadcast on the radio, over the speaker system in a store or restaurant, sung by a professional choir loitering in the lobby of a skyscraper downtown, or simply hummed by people going about their business, Christmas carols have moved on from their role in church services to become part of popular culture. The music is wonderful, don't get me wrong. Many of the best works were composed for the church: J. S. Bach's Brandenburgs, for example. But the carols we use today are simply overused. Pieces like William Tell's Overture and the 1812 Overture, and the Can-Can, have been played so many times that many people just sigh with annoyance when they are used again. Tell's piece is particularly overused, as background for chase scenes -- but that's a subject for a later post. Please, feel free to voice your own interpretation of the holiday season in the comments. Anything that isn't openly harassing or aggressive will be allowed to stay, of course.