Ho Ho Ho, the festive season is upon us, literally... it's Christmas Eve everyone and we're only hours away from the big old countdown.
This time tomorrow I'd like to all think we're tucked up with families enjoying the evening, drinking a glass of something with an alcohol percentage above 5%, watching the stars come through the twilight clouds and enjoying a mince pie or two.
But there is something I have to admit... I'm not feeling festive in the slightest. Believe me when I say I'm all about the Christmas spirit of giving, of decorating the tree and celebrating the year we've had but for the last few festive seasons I've just found it anticlimatic and just all round... a little bit dismal.
And so here it comes. Lizzie the Christmas Scrouge has come out to play.
And to get it all out in the open, since that seems to be where I'm going with this, I'll go ahead and say it's called Christmas for a reason.
And by that I mean the holiday is literally called 'Christ'-mas.
Before you roll your eyes and shut off the screen muttering about God botherers you should know this isn't about me pushing religion onto anyone.
I was brought up in what I like to call a mixed household, where my Mother remains a devout Catholic and my Father is a profuse atheist.
Believe me when I say I've heard both sides of the religion debate.
But like I said, this isn't about converting people to Christianity it's simply about giving out credit where credit's due.
This fesitive holiday that rolls around every year is literally founded on the principles of Christianity... it's sole meaning was once celebrating the birth of Christ, reflecting on the teachings of Jesus and a timely reminder to us all that we should look into our hearts and give out more love, forgiveness and kindness every day, not just one out of the 365.
Like I said, it's not called Christmas out of coincidence.
But I understand this is now the 21st century and times have changed. Society has developed so much so that none of us can even begin to imagine what life was like two thousand years ago. And, I myself am more than happy to sing a song about a reindeer with nasal problems or play Snoopy's Christmas until I wished the baron actually got him. But at the end of the day whether you like it or not, it's a holiday based around religious tradition.
And is it not sad that this year I went around looking for Christmas cards displaying the Nativity scene and found none. Instead I was plagued by snowmen, trees and a card with a pug on the cover saying "have a pugging good Christmas". Classy.
Window displays now feature Santa's little helpers and even Auckland's classically traditional Smith and Caugheys had no Nativity theme to speak of, instead basing it around pirates? Nope sorry, I don't think even the most open minded person would see the Christmas theme in that.
Since when did Christmas become a scene of elves and Mariah Carey and worshipping a fat man in a red suit?
Not only this but it's become this mass tidal wave of commercialisation. We're guilty of putting our accounts into overdraft and racking up the big bucks on credit cards. We go overboard with gifts, spending money we don't really have in exchange for things we don't really need.
And what for? A feeling of accomplishment? Satisfaction? Contentment? You tell me because I'm yet to feel anything.
Retailers have a field day, advertising sales for Africa, hiring in extra staff to cope with the influx of spending they expect.
But my rant has come to an end and like I said, this post isn't here to try and convert anyone, and I'm not trying to single handedly change the way we look at Christmas. It simply saddens me that the founding reason behind tomorrow is slowly being forgotten and phased out.
Even if you Bah-Humbug at the thought of Christianity can you not at least see the underlying themes of Christmas that should remain prevalent forever?
I hope everyone out there tomorrow spends the day with those they love and think of those less fortunate who don't have people to share a laugh or a cry with, or to those who may be mourning the loss of a loved one. I hope we can all say a prayer to the lost and the lonely, to the hungry and the impoverished. I hope we can all reflect on the year we've had as we drink that wine and watch the stars twinkle and I hope more than anything that at some point tomorrow, even if it's just for a fleeting moment, that we think of and remember who and why we are celebrating at all.
Merry Christmas and God bless.
