A few weeks ago on November 17 in Kingston, Canada, there was an interesting sight. During the city’s Santa Claus parade, locals encountered the Grinch. The Grinch, who turned out to be a twenty-four-year-old man, was shouting at little children that Santa Claus does not exist. The man, who was not named by police, was arrested and charged with public drunkenness. Evidently someone drank too much eggnog a little too early.
Okay, seriously though, Grinch dude? You got drunk and that’s what you decided to do? Of all the irresponsible things you could’ve done while you were intoxicated, you picked the one that ruined holidays for little children. Imagine the conversations following this event that Kingston parents there probably had to have with their kids. I’m only a freshman but I can honestly say that that is not a talk I would be very keen to have with my child, especially under those circumstances.
Now, I want to get something straight: I’m not exactly pro-Santa myself. I don’t know if I’ll be telling my children that Santa exists when Christmastime rolls around. I might just come out with it and say that I’ll give them presents if they’re good, not some imaginary, red-clad, overweight, bearded man who rides around in a flying sleigh. I personally think it’s important to teach children what is real and fake from an early age, and Santa, as we all know, is fake (quick sidebar, if you’re reading this and didn’t know Santa Claus is made up, I’m sorry for blowing that for you but you’re in college now so the only advice I have for you is to get over it).
But just because I personally believe that, it doesn’t mean I’m going to be going around telling other people’s kids that Saint Nick doesn’t exist. That’s just plain wrong. It’s not my place, just like it wasn’t that Canadian guy’s place to ruin the holiday spirit for all the kids at the parade. I have no right to go around telling parents how to tell their kids about Santa Claus. Believing in him never hurt anyone, and it’s a cute holiday tradition that parents can choose to either perpetuate or not perpetuate in their own households.
This Grinch fiasco actually relates to a larger issue that’s just as frustrating, if not more so. The whole “War on Christmas” waged every year by various groups is just silly. Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean you have the responsibility or right to ruin it for anyone else. Choosing not to celebrate Christmas – or any other holiday for that matter – is a perfectly legitimate decision. At the same time, I’m not going to berate holidays to everyone who celebrates them. Like I said, it’s wrong and besides, I have better things to do with my time. Apparently our Grinch friend in Canada did not.
Here at Conn I know my point will come across well because we have such a tolerant, accepting and easy-going atmosphere on campus. I severely doubt that any one of us would ruin a dearly held belief for someone else as thoroughly as that man shattered those kids’ belief in Santa Claus.
If your thing on Christmas Eve is to go to midnight mass with close family and friends, then I think that’s great. I won’t stop you. Or if you don’t even celebrate Christmas and instead celebrate Chanukah or Kwanzaa or nothing at all, more power to you. If your thing on Christmas Eve is to spends casual time with family and then go to bed earlier than you normally would and try desperately to fall asleep while greedily awaiting the moment when you can rush downstairs and retrieve the presents your parents left under the tree, I’m all for it. That’s my thing too, and I wouldn’t want someone trampling on that any more than anyone else would want his or her tradition torn apart.
Lastly, back to the meat of this whole matter. If your thing during the Christmas season is to enjoy a nice parade with your kids where you can all spend quality time together, have a few laughs and see a good show put on by all the hardworking individuals involved in the parade, then you should be able to do that and remain uninterrupted by ill-mannered, inebriated individuals looking to ruin someone else’s time.
So happy holidays, and let’s all do our best to keep it that way.
