December is well underway, and with it comes the holiday season in all its festive glory. Along with the typical Christmas customs, like decorating the tree and time with family, another more somber tradition creeps into our conversations more every year – asking why Christmas feels less like Christmas.
Many can testify that the Christmases of our youth had a certain magic that slipped away in our adult years. Some may point to the loss of childhood wonder around believing in Santa or the added stress of adult life as the answer. While these factors probably have an impact on the matter, I don’t believe Christmas has lost its magic because we aged, but rather because we stopped consuming its media.
Like many, I grew up looking forward to celebrating Christmas and all that came with it: the family gatherings, food, decorations and gifts. It wasn’t just Christmas Day I looked forward to, but the entire month of December, which was full of anticipation and festivity. It was one of the few holidays that felt like it was an entire month long.
In adulthood, the experience couldn’t be more different. December has faded into similarity with every other month; festivities reserved for the 25th alone. Where has all the month-long magic gone?
After being faced with that same annual question again this year, I decided to reflect on what was so different about the Christmases of the past compared to the present and one thing stood out to me above all else.
Looking back at all the idyllic memories of my childhood, the one thing in common was Christmas media – watching classic movies with family and friends, hearing holiday music pour from radios and seeing the new TV specials. I’m sure many can remember similar experiences watching “Home Alone” or listening to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee.
In our youth we were more likely to be exposed to this type of seasonal media. In elementary school, some classes would watch films and listen to music before winter break arrived. If you turned on a TV as a kid, regardless of if you were watching Disney Channel, Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network, you’d almost always find Christmas specials or movies playing.
This meant that the holiday spirit was ubiquitous. When most of what you consumed was about Christmas, the world felt like Christmas too.
Now that we’re older, much of the shows and movies we consume are no longer geared toward our age groups. Naturally, we are less exposed to them. This and the fact that cable viewership has declined in popularity with the dominance of streaming services means you would need to go out of your way to experience the same amount of holiday media we effortlessly consumed as kids.
So, has Christmas lost what it had in our youth? I’m doubtful. If you’re feeling like something is missing this December, maybe it’s time to throw on a movie or play some festive music. The magic you’re missing might have been hiding there all along.
