What happened?
In the past, the Christmas holiday began after everyone stuffed down their last piece of pumpkin pie and threw out the remaining pieces of turkey because the thought of another turkey sandwich made us all queasy. This year, the transition did not occur.
There had always been an excitement to the Christmas season. The weekend after the Thanksgiving feast people throughout our community would decorate their homes and apartments with colored lights, foolish looking blowups, and various ways to show everyone they were part of the most important celebration of the year.
I am saddened to report I did not see what I always thought I would see.
There was sporadic decorating, but nothing like the Christmas wonderland of holidays past. Driving through York, there is still the multitudes of lights ringing in the season, but the number of people enjoying the day they turned on the lights seems to have diminished. In earlier times, one would have to arrive early to the lighting of the Nubble Light in order to be in the perfect spot when Santa arrived. Not so much this year.
What happened?
Shopping malls used to promote terror deep in my soul this time of year. It looks as though the population of shoppers has decreased substantially. I believe the amount of merchandise in the store and even the depth of decorations has diminished. A time when I used to stand in line to buy the perfect gift has decreased to the point where you wouldn’t know it was the busy shopping season of the year.
The problem is many, if not most, people have decided that the convenience of online shopping is preferable to the historic passion of being caught up in the chaos of Christmas shopping. This situation does not only relate to our shopping stores and malls.
The other day my wife and I made our yearly excursion to the many Christmas craft fairs located throughout New England. Our first stop was at a high school in Eliot. In past years, the baked goods were remarkable and the multitudes of small craft booths were awe inspiring. If you ever wanted to find the Christmas spirit, all you had to do was visit one of these fairs.
I am pained to say we were disappointed this year. The number of booths was down by maybe a third. The crafts were still remarkable but many were missing. Remembering past Christmases, I recalled elderly men and women produced the merchandise at many of the booths. Possibly many of them have passed or retired from the craft making that defined many of our Christmas seasons.
I am dismayed because I saw few young people to take the place of the artists who have defined the Christmas fairs of New England.
One thing I did notice driving home was that many of my neighbors had brown cardboard boxes sitting on their steps. Many had what I think is a picture of a smile on their sides and promises of gifts they ordered online from people who had no idea who they were. In my minds eye I can see many people in front of their computer screens or cellular phones buying presents for their loved ones and happy not to be inconvenienced by associating with anyone alive. Artificial intelligence has taken over our Christmas spirit.
Maybe these people decorate their computer screens with lights and tinsel. These same people may buy covers for their phones with Santa or holiday emblems emblazoned on them. In reality, I assume this is fiction because the purpose of online shopping is convenience, so why waste time.
This year’s lack of holiday spirit was exemplified by the lack of enthusiasm for the lighting of our national Christmas tree. In the past, I remember viewing masses of people excited about the beginning of this magical season. Things change and nothing stays the same, but I am disheartened by the lack of Christmas spirit this year. It makes no sense to blame anyone or anything, but it is obvious the internet has become our most modern Santa Claus.
Jim Fabiano is a retired teacher and writer living in York.
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