Happy Saturnalia

’twas the night of Christmas Eve, snow as far as the eye can see, the smell of roasted chestnuts lingering in the street, a warm cozy fire in the living room, stocking hanging and waiting to be filled. A small but cheerful Christmas tree sits in the corner guarding the presents that were placed there earlier this evening. Not a soul outside, peace and serenity. And if you listen close enough you can actually hear Santa Claus’s reindeers.

Christmas day! Hooray! Time to open presents! Wait, mom, this isn’t the black version! And what is this, I didn’t ask for a last year’s model, how can you be so disrespectful! Ugh, this family is so lame, I bet Billy got the new next-gen console, lucky little sod.

It is weird how Christmas, the pagan traditional ritual of Saturnalia, turned out to be like this. Where are the sacrifices, where is the blood? Oh, sorry I meant to say: where is the spirit of Christmas? Where is the cheer? Where is the family warmth, the true spirit of giving and getting. Where did all of this go? We used to believe in a cheerful fat bearded guy that slides down your chimneys and brings you presents, if you were good, and he checked his list twice. Now we believe in Salesta Capitalus, the fat greedy corporate guy who maybe brings you presents, if you have a credit card ready, and he is checking your card twice.

Christmas should be the celebration of the family! No matter how you call this holiday and no matter what kind of ritual you hold. It isn’t about the presents, it isn’t about the food or holiday festivities, it is all about showing your family and loved ones that you truly care. And you won’t show this by giving them a super expensive gift, it is the thought that counts, is it not?

If you live in a neighborhood who praise themselves as the true spreaders of Christmas spirit and joy, well let me try to translate that, basically it means: We only go to church and we only celebrate holidays by putting up so much decoration, and so many lights that we could run an airport, because we want to be noticed! The sad truth is that a lot of people only show fixate on the material things, and they also believe that with one expensive gift they can buy back a year’s worth of time lost with their loved ones.

For this Christmas I wish you not a Merry Christmas but happy holidays. Don’t be a show off, don’t be greedy, don’t be an Ebenezer Scrooge, go out and have fun, don’t do it because you need to, do it because you want to. Gifts can be replaced but memories are harder.

By Dejan Vicai