December screams the holidays at our faces, whether we like it or not. I always love this time of year because everything seems a little colorful and happy. However, it was not until this year that I started to see how weird and symbolic Christmas is.
How weird is it that people who celebrate Christmas go out and spend tons of money to decorate their homes, their cars and even themselves on symbolic holiday merchandise? Some of the symbols certain decorations represent do not even make sense. For example, our good friend, the stocking. I am just assuming that one day, someone told some kids, “Hey, hang these socks next to the chimney, and tonight, a man will come to the house and put stuff in them.”
However, I would like to believe that there is a more reasonable meaning behind that tradition. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, the stockings originated when a father was unable to provide for his daughters, so the man himself, St. Nick, climbed down their chimney and put gold coins in the daughters’ stockings. So, clearly, the symbolism is still weird.
Nowadays, we hang up sock-looking bags that are two to three times bigger than socks, in order to fit bigger items in them. Being humble is old news and no longer an option. We are moving onto bigger and better stockings.
Speaking of moving on, I would like to re-introduce the Christmas tree. I can not get over how uncomfortably weird it is that some people store a fake plant in their home for years. Then, once a year, people take this fake plant out to build it and decorate it with small objects and lights. It is not just any fake plant though; it is specifically a humongous tree. Why do we not have a more space-saving fake plant to take out and decorate, like a cactus or maybe a sunflower?
Buying a giant tree is not the most budget-friendly item, either. I moved into a new apartment this year and suddenly I feel the need to purchase my own giant tree, but I may have to settle for a fake christmas fern. Some people actually purchase real trees to keep in a corner of their house. According to History Cooperative, putting trees in homes originated with the Romans. The Romans thought that the green in the trees reminded them of spring during the harsh winters, so they decided that trees were clearly the most reasonable things to put in their homes. Eventually, the Christians adopted the idea and tweaked it, by adding lights and ornaments for other symbols. Thanks, Romans.
Overall, I have learned that decorations are weird, and the symbols are just as weird. We have the Romans to thank for storing large trees in our homes for years. We also have a helpless father to thank for hanging up oversized sock-looking bags. Let’s keep the holidays weird.
