Dear World - Christmas

Dear World,

According to the advert, the "holidays are coming".

Though this rather famous advert by Coca Cola may signal the beginnings of the holiday season for many, to me that is not the case.

To me, it was the moment I heard those four sweet words…

"Everyone loves a DVD".

Granted, DVD is actually three words, so technically there's seven words. Oh, how I love technicalities.

Regardless, it seems like this is the time of the year when every comic brings a DVD out for sale. I mean, I've never seen an advert for a Jethro DVD during Easter or summer, only Christmas time.

I've seen quite a few DVDs from comedians recently. DVD adverts such as ones by Dara O'Briain, Sean Locke, Bill Bailey and Michael McIntyre have graced the screen of my television, and the more I view them, the more I believe that they are the true symbol that Christmas is coming, and not an advert of people watching some red vans rolling into town.

Actually, come to think of it, those adverts for the comedians' DVDs aren't the things that symbolise that Christmas is here. It's adverts in general, isn't it?

These adverts show one thing to me: being shown that Christmas has lost its meaning, like many other seasonal times of year. As it is Christmas this month, I shall use Christmas as my example.

First off, Christmas cards. Don't get me wrong, I understand the meaning behind them, and that is to wish people a merry Christmas. But, is it a bit odd when people buy each other Christmas cards when they live in the same house?

I thought they specialise in greeting others into the festive season to people you don't see that often (or your neighbours and all them lot). It seems rather odd when someone gets a Christmas card from a close relative.

And by close relative, I mean someone who lives in the same house as you. Then again, that might be just me.

The other thing that may be just my bizarre look at life is the giving and receiving of presents. The more and more I live, the more and more I see it as a bragging thing. Y'know, either bragging about how much presents they received, or brag how much the presents cost.

I remember, back in the day when Defaid was just a mere glint in CLIC's eye, some people in my year were discussing about what they have received. One person, who I cannot name as I forgot their name and gender, talked about what they received.

What did they receive? A laptop, an iPod, and countless other gifts. All I thought was, who cares? What advantage do I have if I know that your iPod has 8GBs worth of memory and your laptop came fully loaded with Office 07? None.

Last year for Christmas, along with some clothes, I received a phone from my parents. It's not the best phone in the world, neither is it the dearest. Do I care? No. It's the thought that counts, right? And anyways, it does all a phone usually does. It makes phone calls, it can send and receive text messages, what else do you need?

I don't work in a business, so I have no need for a phone that can send and receive emails, has its own sat-nav and can make your voice sound like Rob Brydon's Small Man In A Box. I have an iPod touch for two of the three things I stated.

Ah, I do believe that I need a life.

But one thing I do think about Christmas is that it is a good thing to bring everyone together. Somehow. Even if there is the odd argument and the even disagreement, it does seem that Christmas brings everyone together. Why is this? I have no clue.

Is it because of the season, with the cold and other things bringing us together? Is it because it's forced upon us, with all the hurrying around and the panic to get everything ready before the big day? Is it that I'm wrong and I need to get out more? Who knows.

I thank ye, world.