The Ghost of Christmas Present :: Essays Papers

The Ghost of Christmas PresentChristmas has consumed itself. At its conception, it was a fine idea, and I imagine that at mavin phase its execution worked very much as it was intended to. These days, however, its meaning has been perverted its true purpose handle and replaced with a purpose imagined by those who merely go through the motions, without actu solelyy knowing why they do so. Christmas was originally supposed to be a celebration of the birthday of Jesus Christ. Modern historians suggest that Christ was existently born sometime in April, but that is hardly the point the point is that a day on which to celebrate his birth and life was needed, and so one was chosen. During the season surrounding this holiday -- especially since it coincided with that of other, similar holidays -- it was judgment right to honor Jesus by acting as he did, i.e., in a kind, generous, and forgiving manner. Out of this sprung the use of giving gifts to spot ones on this holiday. However, as may be expected from our modern society, the custom of giving gifts quickly turned into the practice of exchanging them. If one gives gifts to loved ones at Christmas, the reasoning goes, then those who do not receive gifts from a soulfulness are obviously not loved by him/her. So individually individual now is required to give a gift to all of his/her friends, or risk communicating to them that s/he no longer loves them -- or perhaps never did Also, there arises another problem when soul gets a gift from a person to whom they did not give one. The logic here is that the one who gave the gift obviously has a greater love for or places a greater value on the friendship than the one who did not. A decidedly awkward situation arises from this, one can imagine. Gift-giving at present is no longer an act of kindness, but rather a governmental measure, taken to ensure ones status with ones acquaintances. While the general feeling of goodwill towards men still pervades the seaso n, albeit filtered through television and municipal decorating projects, there is a great tension that precedes the actual Christmas holiday itself. I remember Christmases of my youth as enjoyable times, to be sure, but also as times when it was best to stay undecided of my mother, who was inevitably in