The Popcorn Stand: Hallowthanksmas, Grandma and Festivus

With the Hallowthanksmas season winding down, the Christmas portion of the Hallowthanksmas season didn’t officially start for more until this past Monday, December 14. I can’t believe I hadn’t heard the GREATEST CHRISTMAS SONG ever until 11 days before Christmas: “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.”

The song presented my first experience with political correctness. I really don’t know how to define political correctness. I guess to paraphrase Oliver Wendell Holmes, I can’t define political correctness, but I know it when I see it.

Sometime back in the 1990s I was listening to a radio talk show in which the writer of the song, Randy Brooks, was being interviewed. Someone called into the show to complain about the song, saying it was disparaging to senior citizens. Thus my first experience with political correctness.

But I also can’t really define the examples of this that have been happening in our society, but I also know it when I see it and that’s people just being plain mean or cruel under the guise of not being politically correct. But enough of that.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t point out the GREATEST HOLIDAY is coming up: Festivus For The Rest of Us, which is now celebrated annually on December 23.

Of course Festivus is now an example of life imitating art. People actually celebrate Festivus now in honor of the episode of Seinfeld that introduced Festivus to our society.

Disillusioned with how commercialized Christmas had become, George’s father came up with the idea of Festivus. Instead of a Christmas tree, there’s an aluminum pole.

Festivus also kind of wraps up the frustrations of George’s father with the Holiday season as it’s kind of a combination of an anti-christmas and anti-thanksgiving. In Festivus instead of people stating what they’re thankful for there’s the “airing of the grievances.”

And in this particular episode of Seinfeld, George’s father proclaims how he’s been looking forward to the airing of the grievances by stating “I have a lot of problems with you people.”

Anyway continuing with the theme of political correctness, I’ve never got used to the terms winter break and spring break and still refer to them as Christmas vacation and Easter vacation. But as I’ve written before I have no problem with the term Season’s Greetings.

I don’t ever remember as a kid anyone really being offended by the term Season’s Greetings. I always thought it was just meant to be a shorter way of saying have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

And I really have no problem with Happy Holidays since what you’re really saying is Happy Holy Days.

So Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings, even Happy Hallowthanksmas, it’s all fine with me.

During this difficult time, I certainly believe the spirit of Christmas is more important than ever. You know providing clothing, food and care for those who need it the most. Because Jesus did say the way you treat the least of these is the way you treat me.

I’ve again seen the spirit of Christmas exhibited by many. And obviously the spirit of Christmas needs to be exhibited year-round.

But I also have no problem with having a little fun during the Christmas season. So go ahead and celebrate Festivus and break out the aluminum pole if you want.

Just don’t let Grandma get run over by a reindeer.