What Really Puts the Spirits in the Holidays
December 13, 2024
Writer: Anushi Varma
Editor: Stella Cooper
Not long after the Spirit Halloweens had moved out of their suspicious deserted warehouse locations and the household jack-o-lanterns had been finally demolished by neighborhood squirrels the burst of green, red, and tinsel made its way back onto the streets and in the convenience stores. My nearby shopping mall was already playing “Santa Baby”, putting out new ornament decor for purchase, and preparing a Santa Claus for local children to take pictures with while I was still recovering from trick-or-treat candy hauls and lingering Halloween makeup. My favorite first sign of the Christmas season originated in my local Macy’s. At the very edge of the store, on the balcony overlooking the entrance to the expansive outlet mall, would be a pompous line of Christmas trees for sale right after Halloween. For several years we looked forward to seeing the line of tall and extravagant Christmas trees in Macy’s every November, marking the beginning of the gradual beautification of my hometown including decorative trees, lights, and music.
One of my hometown traditions that quickly follows the presentation of trees in Macy’s is putting up Christmas lights. My neighborhood reminds everyone to put up their Christmas string lights on the trees outside their houses, so we can alternate red and green lights up and down each street. This way, when the sun sets at 4 pm, our eyes and spirits brighten as we take in the beautiful array of lights adorning our drive back home.
Over Thanksgiving break, my mom would bring out our packaged-up Christmas tree from the shed along with a large storage bin of our ornament collection. While my parents cooked, my brother and I would decorate the tree. He would put up an ornament, I would move it to a more attractive location when he wasn’t looking, and the process would repeat until the tree had been covered in a glorious cascade of shimmer and shine. Although we always topped off our Christmas tree with a star, we knew little of its significance and origin other than that everyone puts a star ornament on the top of their Christmas tree.
Christmas was never a religious or spiritual holiday for us. It was also never an occasion to have a giant celebrative Christmas dinner with all of our extended family. While we appreciated its deep spiritual meaning to many of our neighbors, we celebrated Christmas for the way it allowed us to celebrate our world. We basked in relentless Christmas music, went to the city to look at the holiday lights, and indulged in roasted chestnuts and eggnog- all for the occasion. The world suddenly seemed more cheerful and beautiful. Amidst the chaos of normal life, Christmas felt more special when we overlooked our differences and joined together to appreciate our precious surroundings.
Perhaps it seems superficial or consumeristic to care about Christmas for the trees, decorations, music, and food, but I see it as our community putting in the effort to bring cheer into our lives regardless of differences in faith and background. As I relish the festivity of the holiday season in and around my home, I am instilled with hope. I appreciate my community, and I feel most grateful for being included in this celebration. Whether or not you look forward to the holidays, at least the community reveals itself as a shining beacon of faith to be held in the world you live in.
