It's a strange feeling to be around so many different people that share affinity for one holiday. Thanksgiving? No. Hannukah? Yeah, right. You guessed it. Christmas. What is this obsession about a holiday that doesn't very much have a religious base anymore? I thought the word Christ was in there for a reason. But this is not a religious rant.
This is merely a recognition of how 7 billion people on this planet all find one holiday utterly stimulating. This holiday, whether Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, or Islam is no longer a day of religious celebration, but a coming together of sorts to bring families and friends to a peaceful place on this Earth.
Joyeux Noel, a 2005 film, is based on the day of Christmas Eve during World War I where a cease-fire was called, bringing together the armies of Scotland, France, and Germany. They came together to get to know their fellow men on the eve of Christmas instead of concentrating on killing each other.
So here we are, and I am sitting at my computer on the opposite side of the world. I sit here talking with Americans, Brits, Australians, and native Chinese people. During this time of year, we have one thing in common. We talk about the holidays. A fellow Jew and myself insisted on including Hannukah decorations in our classrooms. Working for a corporate American giant, we knew there would be no argument.
For me, Christmas is a time of watching 24 hours of A Christmas Story (best Christmas movie ever) and an annual tradition with my mother that I will be missing for the first time in about 15 years. That will be the hardest part. I will also miss the movie adventures with Jeff and others (after they have been doing the "family" thing). But overall, Christmas is a time for people to spend a ton of money, singers to cover the same ten songs, and all children hoping for a snowfall that will probably never come due to global warming.
The holiday season is upon us. Bring it on with shopping mall pepper spray, insane working hours, and cliche marriage proposals. Happy holidays to everyone I love. It's going to be an interesting one.
