Merry Christmas.
Yes — Christmas.
Not “the holidays.” Not “winter observance season.” Not “non-denominational festive interval, pending HR approval.”
Christmas.
There was a time — and it really wasn’t that long ago — when Christmas just… happened. Nobody argued about it. Nobody filed a complaint. Nobody asked if the tree had been properly vetted by a diversity committee. You didn’t need a disclaimer to say “Merry Christmas,” and you certainly didn’t need a meeting.
It arrived the same way every year: with cold air, warm lights, and a vague sense that something good was about to happen whether the adults were ready or not.
Back then, Christmas music didn’t start a cultural knife fight. You heard it at the mall and thought, Oh good, Christmas is here, not Which side is Mariah Carey on this year? The songs were familiar, a little corny, and absolutely unstoppable — like fruitcake, only louder.
Stores had decorations, not messaging. Santa showed up without a backstory. The manger scene was just… there. Nobody tried to explain it. Nobody tried to remove it. Nobody pretended it was a zoning violation.
Christmas was allowed to be unapologetically itself.
Kids tore through wrapping paper like raccoons on espresso. Dads assembled toys at 1 a.m. using instructions written by someone who clearly hated English speakers. Moms pretended not to notice. Grandparents fell asleep in recliners halfway through It’s a Wonderful Life and woke up exactly in time for dessert.
And somehow, miraculously, no one was offended by any of it.
Christmas wasn’t perfect — it was human. A little messy. A little loud. Slightly overcooked. But it worked because nobody tried to turn it into a seminar.
You didn’t need permission to celebrate. You didn’t need approval to laugh. You didn’t worry that the wrong ornament might get you canceled by your nephew’s college roommate.
You just showed up.
Families argued about politics after dinner, not before. Uncle Bob said something questionable. Aunt Linda rolled her eyes. Someone changed the subject to football. Civilization survived.
The kids didn’t need screens to be entertained — they had batteries to install incorrectly and cousins to fight with over whose turn it was. The dog ate something it shouldn’t have. The cat knocked over the tree. The tree leaned slightly for the rest of the season, like it had opinions.
And through it all, there was this quiet understanding that Christmas was bigger than the nonsense. Bigger than trends. Bigger than headlines. Bigger than whoever was mad online that week.
Christmas didn’t ask to be updated. It didn’t try to keep up. It didn’t apologize for existing.
It just showed up every year and reminded people — even briefly — that joy was allowed, family mattered, forgiveness was possible, and life didn’t have to be run by the most miserable person in the room.
Somewhere along the way, a lot of people forgot that.
They started trying to manage Christmas instead of enjoying it. Regulate it. Rebrand it. Sand it down until it fit neatly into a slide deck. And in doing so, they missed the point entirely.
Because Christmas was never about perfection.
It was about presence.
About sitting at a table with people you love — and a few you tolerate — and realizing that despite everything, you’re still here. Still together. Still capable of laughing at the same dumb joke you’ve heard every year since 1998.
And here’s the good news: Christmas didn’t actually go anywhere.
It’s still right where it’s always been — waiting for you to unplug, look up, and remember that you don’t need permission to enjoy it.
So today, ignore the noise. Say “Merry Christmas” out loud. Eat too much. Laugh too hard. Call someone you’ve been meaning to call. Forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it. Let the kids make a mess. Let the adults relax. Let the day be what it’s always been.
Normal. Wonderful. Human.
From our family to yours —
Merry Christmas. 🎄
And may your batteries be included, your coffee be strong, and your holiday be gloriously unapproved.
If you need an extra smile watch this video of comedian Pete Holmes on what he said instead of “Merry Christmas”
