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| Photo by the author |
With just a few days until Christmas, I have yet to feel the yuletide vibes of the season. If not for the Paskuhan festivities on campus, there would have been no signs for me to call it Christmas, and it would just have been another holiday season that would go by. The eagerness to call it a day with the semester seemed to overshadow the mystical enchantment Christmas used to bring.
In the Philippines, Christmas arrives as soon as September ushers in. But over the past few years, I haven't been able to deny how different Christmas has become. With all the rollercoasters I've been through in my life, I first thought it was just a 'me' thing and I tried to move past any thought that would sour the otherwise festive time of the year. As my friend group and I talked about it, we found out we were all sharing the same sentiments. The same comments were shared on all social media sites; when I scrolled through Twitter, this tweet from the trend #ManilaEncounters way back in 2019 caught my attention, which was also voicing the same concern. Christmas has not been the same anymore.
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| Photo from Twitter |
There is no feeling quite like that of a jubilant kid on Christmas waking up to the smell of freshly baked goods and the overwhelming anticipation of tearing open the gifts displayed under a dazzling bright tree. The joy draws back from as early as the transition of August to September. I used to look forward to Christmas and would annoy my parents into assembling the tree first day of September. The joys of decorating the house together, putting up lights, and being the one to put the star at the top of the tree will remain unmatched.
Swiftly as I grew older, the magical feeling seemingly vanished, and Christmas just felt like another day of the year. The activities I once loved were not something I enjoyed anymore and turned into a burden. Despite how hard I tried, the festive spirit could never match my youthful energy.
Feeling "Christmas-y" is not a simple emotion. It's the overlapping combination of anticipation and the anxiety of becoming disappointed if set expectations are not fulfilled. Our brain does not assess the level of happiness, but rather the discrepancy between our predicted and actual levels of satisfaction. As we raise our expectations and over-anticipate the Christmas season, we lose the emotional heft of trying to make sense of the standard we built.
Due to the enormous visibility and near-inescapable nature of Christmas, people frequently form structured notions of what Christmas should and should not entail. People often have an idealized vision of Christmas, yet, the actual and ideal have a low chance of matching.
Psychology professor, Krystine Batcho, elaborates on this, saying:
Our memories of Christmas as children have given rise to irrational and fantastical aspirations. Childhood myths about Santa and magic allowed us to suspend reality at Christmastime. Thus, it is no surprise that many people are disappointed when they experience less of the promise of Christmas because, as adults, we can never enjoy the wondrous feelings and belief.
As our memories are often rosier than reality, we filter out the mundanity. It is healthy for us to take a step back and acknowledge the selective character of our memories and refrain from letting it take a toll when we contrast the past with the present.
While it is true that Christmas has been different, at the end of the day, it boils down to living to the traditions with people we hold dear. We will soon realize that Christmas is more than just the joys of receiving a gift or being the one to hang parols on the door or the star on the tree—but to honor the deep gratitude for the birth of Jesus and celebrate the day with those dearest to you.
This is why we continue to build the Christmas tree together, why we drag ourselves out of bed in the wee hours of the morning for Simbang gabi, or why we still enjoy the wholesome gathering during Noche Buena.
The beauty of growing up is that we learn to move past the idea of setting up lofty expectations of Christmas and instead, go through the motions of the glee it may bring.
As I continue to shop and wrap the gifts for my loved ones and plan and prepare the banquet party, I have slowly regained my love for Christmas. I will put aside the sentimental value of this season and cherish the memories I had back then. Christmas may not seem the same as it once did, but let us take time to cherish the little moments that make the season so special; perhaps it will begin to feel magical once more.
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