The Indie Pen Dance: ‘Tis the Season for Premature Celebration

I hate to start off with a clichè, but it is indeed that time of year. Again. It happens every year in B-Town: We wear more layers, feel the need to hibernate before Finals Week, and end up perpetually with an umbrella in our hands. It’s rainy, cold, and gray- Yup, it’s wintertime. We’ve all come back from Thanksgiving Break, and we’re in a strange 3-week hiatus that stands between us and the end of our Fall Semesters. It’s the end of the second quarter, and we’re almost to halftime. But we’re also in the midst of one of the most commercialized and overly celebrated holiday seasons known to mankind.

Now, I’m all for holidays. I love them all- I get to see my family, I get to go home, and my house turns into dysfunction junction- for the sake of the holiday season- It’s just an infectious time of year for me; But this year, I realize that I have been accosted (more like assaulted) by celebratory lights, music, and decorum. Lights and music (even though they weren’t acknowledged as “Christmas”) were hung in the College Mall at least two weeks before Thanksgiving. Forgive me for saying, but I must say that it’s too early.

There is also an incredible bias toward Christmas, as opposed to other holidays. In my entire life, I’ve seen Hanukkah decorations only once and in one place. To this day, I’ve never seen a Kwanzaa decoration. It angers me that it’s so one-sided, when it should maintain itself as a multifaceted season.

I’m not against holidays. I’m against the incredibly early celebration of holidays. I’m sick of the Christmas music on the radio in mid-November, and I’m sick of the Christmas products being available in stores before Thanksgiving. Radio stations need not play Christmas music a month in advance, especially when the market for Christmas music seems to be much smaller compared to a more secular collection of music normally played on the radio- You can only appreciate “Blue Christmas” so many times. I understand if people want to get started early, but there is a time and a place. We have the entire month of December to prepare and celebrate the holiday of your choosing.

If you don’t like to celebrate big and fancy, I recommend Festivus. Yes, a holiday created by the fictional character Frank Costanza from the popular 90s TV series “Seinfeld” is a holiday now recognized by many. Wikipedia’s page about Festivus declares it to be created by a writer of the popular series back in 1966. It’s a legitimate holiday for those who do not wish to participate in the commercialism-laden holiday season. All you need is an aluminum pole, some complaints, and a little bit of strength.

However, I do find that nothing beats a Christmas cookie and a few lights.

By: Sarah Hetrick

Last 5 posts by shetrick

• The Indie Pen Dance: The Long Haul - March 28th, 2012
• The Indie Pen Dance: Semi-Apathetic Discord - March 7th, 2012
• The Indie Pen Dance: "X" Marks the Spot - February 22nd, 2012
• The Indie Pen Dance: Let’s Talk. - February 8th, 2012
• The Indie Pen Dance: 3 Reasons Why You Should Choose “Archer” - January 25th, 2012