As we reach the end of our Christmas reality check, the cynical contradictions of Christmas stand glaringly exposed. Despite its image as a season of joy and giving, Christmas in its current form is fraught with issues that extend far beyond its religious and cultural roots. The holiday’s deeply ingrained consumerism not only exacerbates economic disparities but also contributes to environmental degradation on a massive scale. Beyond the tangible impacts, Christmas exerts a considerable psychological toll, amplifying stress, loneliness, and mental health challenges. The physical health of individuals and the strain on public health systems can’t be ignored either, with marked increases in health emergencies and lifestyle-related ailments during this period.
The generation before mine used to give people things like oranges. Not expensive tablets that landed in the trash at most two years later.
You can have christmas and presents without it becoming absurd.
I always tell people: “Give me nothing, please. And if you insist, then please give me something I can eat and which only temporarily needs space or just give me money and I buy something I need anyway.”
And then I might buy food or cleaning equipment, the sort of things you need to buy all the time anyway.