The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

By RYAN KAMBER
Every Thanksgiving, my favorite thing to do is watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, yet from the time I was a baby, I’ve always wondered why the main figure of the parade was Santa Claus. Why is his appearance one of THANKSGIVING’s signature moments when Christmas is a month away? Here he is appearing on millions of TV screens in a parade for another holiday that at the time he appears (usually around 11:55) isn’t even half over?  Santa Claus is so revered in the United States, yet what are kids like me to do who don’t celebrate Christmas?

“Santa is overrated,” said Junior Aaron Chumsky. “He only gives to Christian children.” This made me think, what could’ve possibly made Santa decide that only Christians deserve his fabled late night drop-offs? Is it possibly that the beloved Santa gives you an automatic trip to the naughty list if you don’t celebrate his holiday? That sounds incredibly egocentric!  And that is the reason I’ve been giving every mall Santa the death stare since I was around three years old. The whole concept of Santa doesn’t seem so holly and jolly either. Seriously, if any other fat old man dressed in red and carrying a sack came down your chimney late at night, I highly doubt that you’d welcome him with milk and cookies. So personally, I don’t think that Santa is the hero that society believes him to be.

“Christmas is becoming more of an American holiday than a Christian holiday,” said Jericho Junior Bishal Choudhury. That may be what society is trying to do, but I’m not buying it. Why isn’t St. Nick ever accompanied by his Jewish cousin, Hanukkah Harry? Why aren’t the signs that say “Keep Christ in Christmas” accompanied by signs that read “Keep Ha in Hanukkah”? Why doesn’t television play movies such as “Fiddler on the Roof” or… Wait! There aren’t any good Jewish movies to watch for Hanukkah. So, on that note, why doesn’t Hollywood create more Hanukkah themed movies?  Christmas is a very popular holiday celebrated by most; however people must come to grips with the fact that it is not celebrated by everybody.

Seriously, if I had a dollar for every person who has wished me a Merry Christmas in the past few weeks, or a dollar for every person who will wish me a Merry Christmas in the next few days, I’d maybe be $20 wealthier. How do you think they would feel if on December 25^th I wished them a Happy Hanukkah? Meanwhile, while I understand that Hanukkah isn’t the holiest of holidays, and we do get off from school for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I spend six out of my eight days of Hanukkah in school! It doesn’t even feel like Hanukkah, yet for Christmas which is a one day affair, we get school off until the New Year. Not that I am complaining about vacation days. Honestly if the powers that be feel as if we deserve a month off for Christmas I will gladly accept the extra vacation time. But right now it’s Hanukkah and the only time when I remember it’s a holiday is when my family lights the Menorah at night. The world outside has been no help in reminding me either. Meanwhile on Christmas, every store, restaurant, post office, fire department, and hospital looks like the North Pole! You couldn’t forget that it’s Christmastime if you tried. So if you ever tell me that this is “the most wonderful time of the year,” I will calmly reject that notion and try my best to convince you that the title belongs to summertime.