The Hypocrisy of Holiday Cheer

At this time of year, between Catholic and Orthodox Christmas, social media is overflowing with various quips, most of which revolve around happiness and expectations. One could hardly find any analysis of the reasons for their absence and growing misery, carnage and genocide. No matter how grumpy or cynical one might be, it’s hard to avoid this topic—especially if one is a columnist. The oscillations in public sentiment are enormous, ranging from the naïve to those who promote the "tyranny of happiness" and revel in imposed commercialization, to the doubting Thomases.

Years ago, I encountered a fascinating coordinate system. The horizontal axis stretches from anti-capitalism to pro-capitalism, while the vertical axis ranges from pro-Christmas to anti-Christmas sentiments. For our purposes, we can easily substitute "Christmas" with "New Year's" or "holiday celebrations." In the quadrant where anti-capitalism intersects with a pro-Christmas stance, we find the embodiment of this spirit in none other than Jesus. Nestled in the pro-capitalism and pro-Christmas quadrant is the fairy-tale, commercialized figure of Santa Claus. The quadrant representing pro-capitalism and anti-Christmas sentiment is inhabited by the infamous Scrooge from Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Finally, the figure that perfectly embodies both anti-capitalism and anti-Christmas fervor is, of course, the Grinch.

There’s little need to elaborate on the figure of Jesus, except for the occasional reminder that he can also be seen as a symbol of everything opposed to modern consumerism, selfishness, greed, and obsession with material possessions. Although this perspective may not sit well with conservatives, Jesus could arguably be considered the first (unofficial) leftist: devoted to altruism, self-sacrifice for the collective good, humility, love for all—especially the marginalized—and a firm commitment to nonviolence. However, even this interpretation should be approached with caution, as his birthday has long been commercialized, transforming into yet another opportunity for profit-making and the sale of nearly everything imaginable—even an ounce of happiness—starting as early as the end of October. The past two years, in particular, have made it increasingly difficult to connect the contemporary image of Jesus with the child born in what is now Palestine. Even the Pope's symbolic gesture of draping the baby Jesus in a keffiyeh offers little to no comfort at all.

Santa Claus is the "good-natured" and fairy-tale icon of consumerism and capitalism. To be fair, even those of us who grew up in socialism were familiar with this figure—though with more of a disciplinary than magical power. The concept of being a "good and obedient child" was the foundation for earning what were, back then, modest gifts. The fact that not all children receive the same amount of joy or gifts reveals the materialistic criteria Santa uses to determine who is "good" or "deserving" and who is not.

Scrooge, on the other hand, has entered the English language as a common noun (written in lowercase) to describe a miserly misanthrope who ultimately suffers because of their stinginess. In Dickens' story (which underscores that Christmas is not limited to a single day, but should be nurtured throughout the year), Scrooge undergoes a transformation. He sheds his loneliness and bitterness, ultimately embracing the joy of sharing happiness with others.

If I were to locate myself on that coordinate system, I’d be the Grinch/grinch—loosely translated as "party-breaker." For me, the Grinch is embodied by Christopher Hitchens (let's set aside his opinions and the justification of military interventions that I could never approve). His final attempt to "spoil" the holiday spirit came in the form of an essay titled The Real Spirit of Christmas, published in the Christmas edition of The Wall Street Journal, just nine days after his death. In it, he recounts, among other things, an urban legend about Japanese retailers trying to adopt the Christmas spirit to appeal to Western tourists by depicting Santa Claus crucified on a cross. His battle was solitary, heroic, and without any hope of victory. Yet, his prophecy proved accurate. Hitchens compared the horrors of December (which, for Orthodox countries, stretch until the end of January) to life under a one-party system: everyone is forced to believe in the holiday spirit, regardless of whether they call it Christmas or something else. The crucial thing is to be excessively cheerful and pretend you’ve become a better person who genuinely cares for others.

Over the years, many have undergone a transformation in the opposite direction: raised on the fairy tale of Santa Claus, playing the role of Santa for their children, only to end up as grumpy Grinches. No, I don’t marvel at those who find joy in the holidays; I consider it indecent and inhumane. As the year comes to a close and we take stock, the result is disheartening—literally in every area. Everything feels turned upside down. It is painful to even begin to process the fact that Christmas and New Year have been celebrated around the globe, including Bethlehem and Jerusalem, while at the same time, Palestinian newborns die from the cold (if not from bombs). What an irony it is to be enchanted by fireworks while missiles take lives in real time! I can scarcely tolerate those “good people” who preach values and the divine human, yet harbor fear of migrants simply because they are “different.” The salesmen and politicians push you to spend your last penny on a shallow, empty celebration, while alcohol becomes the quickest way to escape reality. As if there’s something to celebrate in a country where suicides are no longer news but part of the daily chronicle—and in a world teetering on the edge of nuclear destruction.

Being happy in an unhappy society is even considered inappropriate, yet it remains so necessary on an individual human level. Who am I to tell you not to rejoice with your children or grandchildren when the whole world is celebrating? It would probably have been wiser to skip this column (by rule, the hardest one of the year, when the desire for optimism loses the battle to realism)... Yet a column can't save the world (or Macedonia), nor can it cause much damage.

Momentary joy is a hangover. It's a lie. Hope is an anesthesia; it is not a motivator for struggle and resistance. I'm sorry, but Jesus is not here, just as Santa is not, and the miraculous transformation of Scrooge and the Grinch is just a made-up fairytale about the magical power of the holidays. Given the religious foundations of Christmas and considering the original message of Christ's teachings, the real narrative is about how Power/Capital "stole" and then sold everything that had a deep social essence and ethical message, which can be found in every humanistic vision (and utopia). It is sad and pointless to wait for Christmas to see clearly because holidays make everything seem twice as miserable as usual (Douglas Coupland).

If there had been a real Grinch, he would have stolen all the holiday nonsense, tearing away the glitter and illusions, lifting the veil from our eyes to expose the accumulated hypocrisy, lies, and despair. And somehow, in the midst of it all, he would still wish us the strength to survive the year 2025. After all, it’s OUR responsibility to grow up, face the world as it is - and try to change it.