The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The spirit of Christmas brings the best out of people. Contrasted to the uncharacteristically American work done from January to November, during the month of December, we become the most determined and efficient humans that ever existed, stopping for no man. When the stores open, only those with great sacrifice will prevail victorious. Fighting occurs quite often around the country in malls full of unnecessary, yet essential items.  It is only the most fitting test of courage, proving to the world that life truly exists to give presents. The giver feels a sense of accomplishment for waiting in line for two hours to buy a pair of socks. Similarly, the recipient is overjoyed, thankful for another worthless, yet imperative gift that will almost undoubtedly be taken to Salvation Army next year. As we gather with our families, sharing precious time together, it becomes apparent that the only thought on our minds are those presents: the ones that are beautifully wrapped and carefully arranged under the withering tree, ready to be teared to shreds.
Our cultural has long been obsessed with materialism, and as a result, across just about every business, they have catered our consumerism with “merchandising niceness.” In “Marrying Absurd”, Joan Didion criticizes the facets of contemporary living, saying, “there is no connection with “real” life.” As Didion describes, the wedding chapels in Las Vegas are “intensely competitive”, deceiving couples through their “stained-glass paper” and “artificial bouvardia”.  Like the consumerism of Christmas, quicky weddings forgo traditional concepts only to veil the harsh truth. According to the young, pregnant bride, her weddings was “just as nice as she hoped and dreamed”, an inaccurate picture painted by the materialistic nature of Western society.