Christmas, A Humbug? Some People Agree

Christmas, a Humbug?

If you grew up in a home and community where everyone celebrated Christmas, like me, you lived in a bubble. In the olden days church, schools, businesses, and all of my family and my husband's relatives, plus co-workers, enjoyed the December 25th holiday.

Thanks to the Internet I have read responses from some who say they hate Christmas. Ebenezer Scrooge started out calling the Winter observance a humbug. When he uttered this word to his nephew, Fred was dismayed and replied, "Christmas, a Humbug uncle?.

Fred, like many of us, could never imagine anyone thinking harshly of the "most wonderful time of the year." After a visitation from Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, Scrooge became a new man who vowed to keep the holiday in his heart every day of the year.

There are those among us who have the same attitude as Scrooge and they are happy with their point of view. I read a thread where people said they hated the December 25th holiday.

Peace on Earth

The reasoning was because of all the "peace on earth, goodwill to men" being expressed. This was difficult for me to digest. How can any human be against goodwill and peace? Even if someone had a rough life, would they not enjoy the holiday season?

I have watched enough crime shows to know that there are people on the earth who embrace the darkness. On an episode of 20/20, a woman had become friends with a man who was a serial killer. She said they had in common that they enjoyed role-playing games where someone was murdered.

She never expressed remorse or said she could not believe she had been close to such an individual. She said the darkness drew them together, and she enjoyed playing those games.

Understandably, people who are not Christian would not want to observe the birth of Christ. Some celebrate Christmas as a time for family without religious connotations. Others express tolerance.

Not everyone celebrates Christmas

A local jeweler was Jewish, but he wished everyone Merry Christmas. He also made money from sales of rings and other items during the holidays. I once had a co-worker who was a Jehovah's Witness.

When the rest of us exchanged gifts under the company Christmas tree, he quietly remained working and answering phones. It's a different story with those saying they don't like the feel-good aspect of the season. Hate is a strong word, and I wonder what lies beneath such harsh opinions.

I am not suggesting that anyone who feels this way is a serial killer in the making. However, embracing darkness, exhibiting a lack of empathy, and the occult seem to be common themes based on research, with those whose lives take them down paths of murder and mayhem.

In recent years, I have become distressed at the way ads for Christmas show up earlier and earlier. This year, there were television commercials and displays in stores before Halloween. It's enough to make me want to tune out society until after January 1.

Merry Christmas or Humbug?

I marvel at how an observance that began as a way to acknowledge the birth of Jesus has turned into a billion-dollar industry with TV shows and movies that are secular and have nothing to do with Christ.

The Christians who started the December 25th tradition were trying to get pagans to stop observing the Winter Solstice. They never said it was the birth date of Jesus.

Over time, this evolved into people saying He was born on this date, but neither history nor the Bible validates this. Still, I would never consider Christ-mas (Christ's mass or Christ among us) a humbug.

I will respect the rights of those who do consider Christmas a humbug because that is their free will choice. There have always been people who felt this way. The difference now is that the Internet gives a voice to those who once tolerated December 25th in silence.