Pumpkins, Ghosts and…. Jingle Bells?
December 25: A date engraved in our minds throughout our entire lives. Christmas day is a festive day, a time for celebration with the people we love; however our society today seems to have transformed it into a business venture, rather than the time of love and hope it is supposed to symbolize. Many stores and franchises use Christmas to their advantage. Even though Christmas is on December 25, it seems that every year the Christmas decorations start appearing in stores earlier and earlier. I mean, I haven’t even started thinking about what I am going to be for Halloween, let alone started writing my Christmas list! So why in the world am I seeing Christmas decorations in almost every retail store in early October!
One week stores are stocked with pencils and binders for the back-to- school shopping, and the next week blow-up Santas crowd the aisles. I plan to start my Christmas shopping the day after our last final, so why are stores filling their shelves with everything from candy canes to stockings? Is this really necessary?
Costco brought out the tinsel and decorations on September 1, exactly three months and twenty-four days BEFORE Christmas. My family doesn’t start the Christmas celebration until December 1 and laugh at other people who hang up their lights the day after Thanksgiving!
The main question is, why? Why do people need to buy Christmas decorations three months in advance? I doubt that all the stores are going to sell out of blow-up Santas and Christmas light, so why stock shelves with them three months in advance?
Is America the only country to do this? Do Spain, France or China start the Christmas celebration three months early? No, this honor is reserved solely for the United States. In Barcelona, the decorations don’t appear until early December when the Christmas Market appears. Here, customers can shop for handmade gifts, nativity scenes and traditional gifts. This market represents the beginning of Christmas in the city of Barcelona.
With Christmas decorations appearing so early, we have lost that sense of Christmas being a magical and special time. The children of Barcelona know when the Christmas celebration begins because the market represents that time of year. Last time I checked, Christmas didn’t start in October.
The Nutcracker is a Christmas classic that many grow up watching. In the story, Clara, a young German girl, and her brother Fritz are not able to see the Christmas tree decorated until Christmas morning. They are dying of suspense and cannot wait to see the tree all-light up and decorated. They have been waiting all year for this day. This tradition creates the magic of Christmas. The suspense, the surprises, and the idea of seeing the tree light up all work to create that special Christmas feeling. But when we start the festivities three months in advance, Christmas loses its special feeling and becomes just another excuse for good food and presents. The suspense and excitement is lost.
Unlike other nations, America starts Christmas earlier and earlier each year, and it is hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it is still ninety degrees outside. It is extremely hard to grasp why stores are pulling out reindeer and stocking stuffers three months early when most people haven’t even planned their Halloween costumes. So now the question is, will you be one of the shoppers first in line for a blow-up Santa? Or will you be like me, rushing around on Christmas Eve trying to get your tinsel for the tree?
A Collection of Thoughts from Black and White
By Tanya Padgaonkar, Special Sections Editor
A Perspective from a Chaperone…
Hey everyone, Mr. Mumper here. I’ve dreaded it for all of October, and now it’s finally here. Black and White. Someone please rescue me? Actually, no, it’s alright. I can do this, with this handy-dandy checklist in hand. Okay, so…
Flashlight: check.
Detention slips: check.
Protective gear…? Er, check?
I think…I think I’m ready.
But the moment I walk into the Hollywood themed gym, I know I’m in for a long night filled with sweaty teenagers, but (hopefully?) maybe a little bit of fun for myself too. I’d have to say though, the coolest thing I’ve seen all night was the crowd of boys and girls jerking and break dancing to the song “You’re a Jerk.”
Well, I guess people seem to be having fun. Standing atop a large ladder with a flashlight isn’t exactly my ideal Saturday night… I wish there was some Hawaiian music on. But at least the kids seem to like the DJ since they are singing along with almost every song. I’m not sure why the majority of the people seem to be in the middle of the gym though, since the foyer has spiffy looking card tables and there are refreshments outside. CI and NAHS really managed to incorporate the Hollywood theme into everything, from the decorations to the movie of old Hollywood films in the background, they thought of everything.
But apart from that, the whole experience is making me a little bit sad. I’m not in high school anymore! I can’t dance or even go to these things without a legitimate alibi. You know, I’m actually pretty impressed with all of these girls though. I’m supposed to be checking for drugs, alcohol, etc. and I haven’t found anything! Hey, these are actually some pretty good quotes. I’ll have to be sure to keep these and other positive Pres-related thoughts in mind in case one of those yearbook or newspaper students comes to interview me. Mr. Case warned me about them before I left. Now, where’s that checklist of mine?
By Angelia Tran, Business Manager
A Perspective from a Pres girl’s date…
Name: Jonathon Stutchman
High school: Saratoga High School
Grade: 12
Mission: Black and White Charity Ball at Presentation High School
Thoughts: Presentation is a typical private school, small, only females, and not too exciting. The dance will be kind of boring, not many people will be dancing, and there will be chaperones patrolling. But I told Ivy Nguyen I would go since she’s a senior and it’ll be her last Black and White.
October 24th 2009: It begins…
Preparation: 30 minutes to get ready and dressed. I must remember to wear something that matches lots of things to be safe since Ivy isn’t sure which dress to wear.
Mission begins: We are meeting at one of Ivy’s friend’s house for pictures and such. Perhaps I will meet other dates. I have a feeling I’ll be with them for the rest of the night. Then time for dinner! Ivy says we’re splitting the bill at Pasta Pamadora.
7:45 PM: Dinner is done and now at Presentation. The beginning of this dance is awkward since no one is dancing. This is typical of dances though, so, hopefully, things will improve. For now there are other things to do, like take professional pictures and play blackjack. How nice.
9 PM: For the most part, the music is pretty good. The DJ isn’t too amazing, but I’ve been to dances with much worse. Actually, this dance isn’t too bad and not too different from the ones I have gone to before. The only difference is, typically at schools like mine, there aren’t so many cops…and the chaperones usually aren’t so strict about the dancing.
11 PM: Time to leave. Wow, they really want us off campus fast. That’s different.
Notes: I didn’t think that the gym would be so big, and didn’t know that the school was really nice looking. Also there was a lot more sports awards in the gym than I thought would be at a private girls school. I really like the people though; they weren’t at all how I pictured. They seem a lot more real and fun than previously thought. Also there were more of them than I had thought.
A Perspective from a Police Officer…
Matt Christian and his brother are police officers, but their high school alma mater is Mitty. Still they came to Presentation, teenage stereotypes put aside, to chaperone the Black and White Charity Ball, the first for Matt who has only chaperoned other Presentation events such as the Mother-Daughter Breakfast. Unlike his experiences at Mitty, Matt found the Bellarmine boys to more well-behaved than he had thought and the Pres girls pretty decent. He was even further impressed with the charity aspect of Black and White as the proceeds of the night are given to Sacred Heart. Also, there were no incidents as he checked the parking lots and the rest of the campus for any criminal activity, critical or minor, to keep those on campus that night safe. The only safety breach came when some local neighborhoods kids hiding out at St. Chris managed to soak some students with water balloons as they were leaving the dance. While he and the other officers had rushed over, there was no one there. So, sadly, while the night had gone well otherwise, there was a casualty that night – a girl’s chic dress.
Loading ...
