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Call Me Christmas Scrooge

I don’t want to be the Christmas Scrooge, but with the state of the world, some honest truths need to be said. And, since no one else is telling them, it looks like it has to be me.

Today, I want to talk about Christmas, Santa, the Easter Bunny, and while we’re there, let’s throw in Halloween, the tooth fairy, and pretty much every holiday – how they are contributing to the current state of the world, human unconsciousness and preventing our awakening. And if Christmas doesn’t entirely sit well with you, what you can do instead that will align with you.

Christmas, Santa And The Lie

As you awaken to the truth of reality and who you are, you start to see the world differently. It also helps if you look at life and reality through your new, broader perspective and search for the truth of what it is, not what you want it to be.

Let’s start with Christmas, and the most widespread lie told to the Western world.

This may be confronting for a many, especially if you are a parent. And I’m not blaming anyone for anything you have done or not done – because we didn’t know.

But hear me out because this was a massive realisation for me when I understood the true impact of this on our society.

Santa Claus is a lie. It’s not true. For 7 to 10 years, parents tell their children that a fat man with a beard in a red suit rides in on flying reindeer and delivers presents to children based on whether they are good or bad. The parents themselves put presents under the tree, or not.

If the kid questions it too early, they are gas-lighted not to believe themselves. They are told of course, Santa is true, which trains them to ignore their internal compass and intuition.

Then at some point, the kids find out it’s not true, either from the parents or another kid. It’s brushed over, never really discussed or addressed, and life goes on. No one gets any explanation or discussion of why.

Let’s consider the implications of this…

I’m not going to sugar-coat it, but this makes people uncomfortable. And it should. We need to start questioning everything!

Consequences Of The Lie

It is widely accepted that the first 7-8 years of a child’s life are the most formative in terms of programming beliefs and behaviours.

So for the first 7-10 years of a child’s life, their most formative years, their parents and (in most cases) their primary carer and authority figure are knowingly lying to them.

With no explanation or reason other than that’s what everybody does.

Has anybody seriously stopped to consider the psychological and emotional implications of this?

What is the implication of discovering at age 7,8, or 9 the people you most trust have been lying to you your whole life – about multiple things – Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy? And that society says these lies are perfectly okay because everybody does it.

What is this teaching us?

It’s teaching us that it is perfectly fine for authority to lie to us for no reason, and we must trust them regardless. And not to speak up and question because you spoil things and create unnecessary conflict – even as an adult.

Social Consequence

This creates massive internal conflict. Trust the people lying to you – that lies are in your best interests. Don’t question. And ignore yourself and any questions you might have. How do you do that easily?

What does this do to a child’s, or the eventual adult’s, ability to discern right from wrong, truth and lies, when and when not to trust – either themselves or authority?

What does it do? Well, we have seen this over the last 2-3 years. We end up with a society of people who blindly follow authority, accept and allow lies and deception to pass, even when their intuition and common sense tell them the opposite is true. We have a society of people who do not know right from wrong and are too scared to challenge, question – and let it pass. We have a community programmed to trust authority regardless of their lies and believe the lies are in our best interests. We have a society programmed to ignore ourselves and our inner knowing from the day we were born.

If you struggle to trust yourself or speak up, it’s not your fault.

These unconscious rituals and holidays are just another mechanism of social control.

Self-Worth

The other impact this has is on a child’s self-worth.

Children are told that Santa delivers presents based on good or bad behaviour. And that he only comes to good Christians and not people of other religions.

But what is the implication of one child from a poorer family receiving few or no presents while their wealthy friend down the road receives dozens and dozens. Or Santa bypassing a Jewish child? Because, surely Santa treats everyone the same and gives kids precisely what they deserve? What does this tell a child about their worth, their value?

How confusing is it that Santa is true and real in some households, religions and belief systems but not others?

As adults, we can look back and see that the gifts we received were not based on a  judgement from Santa. They were based on our individual family values and beliefs, and economic situation.

But it was not the adult who experienced those Christmases. It was the child. And who knows what sort or unresolved subconscious confusion and trauma that child experienced that is now playing out in them being an obedient and non-questioning citizen?

To Lie Or Not To Lie…

If you’re a parent, I am not saying this to make you feel bad. And I’m not telling you to go and criticize your parents.

We have all participated in this charade and illusion until now. We were all programmed to believe this is the way things are. None of us knew any better. Until now. Now we are more awake and have the choice to be different.

A part of me wrestled with this every Christmas for the last 14 years – do I tell my nephew the truth or uphold the lie? I am complicit too.

But part of waking up is seeing the world for what it is and not just picking and choosing the bits you like that work for you or make your life easier.

Waking up is seeing all of reality for what it is, and consciously choosing not to participate in the illusion and the charade.

Waking up is considering what is truly right and wrong and choosing behaviours that align with that. Including lying to your kids.

But The Joy!!

I can hear the awkward laugher – it’s harmless. Don’t be ridiculous.

I can hear the denial and the outrage. But Liz, it brings them joy.

Yes, well, there are other ways to bring joy… without lies and manipulation. If true joy comes from the giving and the receiving, what’s the problem with parents giving their children gifts and being honest about it?

Let’s be honest. Very few parents consciously consider the pros, cons, and long-term implications of lying to their children. It’s being done unconsciously.

And very few people want to give up these things. It’s easier to condemn the truth-teller than seriously look at yourself and the world and make a change. Or be the one to challenge and question, and speak out. It’s how we’ve been programmed.

Celebration And Consumption

So, there’s the emotional and psychological trauma of the lie. Another social impact that affects us all is the mindless distraction of celebration and consumption, which applies to many holidays.

Christmas started in November, and people started getting stressed about the shopping, festivities and family obligations. The decorations and the carols roll in as soon as the Halloween decorations are packed away. After New Year’s, there are only a matter of weeks before Valentine’s Day, then Easter. And on it goes. Not to mention birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, football finals, football season, weddings and even funerals.

The entire year is filled with the distractions of celebrations and life events that we think we must prepare for and experience for weeks and months in advance.

People mostly have no idea why or what we are celebrating any more. Any meaningful reason for celebration has been lost, distorted and hijacked.

Christmas is supposedly a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. But there are a lot of non-religious people who still celebrate without any awareness. They mindlessly go through the routines and rituals of Santa, carols, reindeer and gifts without asking what it means or why they are doing any of it.

Halloween is probably the worst. Has anybody considered the collective energetic effect on our psyches and the planet when a huge part of humanity dresses in blood and gore and focuses on darkness and death? Has anyone considered this event’s origins and what they are celebrating? Likely no.

The consumption of excess junk food, alcohol, decorations, things and stuff on these holidays is unconscious for so many. People don’t think of the decorations that end in the bin, the unwanted presents that go unused, and the effect of alcohol and junk food on the body and soul – and if they do consider it, they often don’t care.

It’s just one event, one celebration, one day. Until the next.

But a lifetime and reality are the sum of every individual day.

And every event, celebration or holiday is intended to distract you from the truth of reality and what is going on in the world.

How To Celebrate Instead

So what do you do instead?

What do you do if Christmas, holidays, and mainstream celebrations don’t sit well with you?

Am I going to sit at home and shut out the world and eat bread and water on Christmas Day?

No. I’m not.

I admit, I no longer celebrate 99% of events with the mainstream of society. Most of them pass me by without even knowing. Even birthdays are low-key for me.

But Christmas is one that energetically you can feel when you are alone.

I do participate in Christmas, and I try to do it consciously. But these days, Christmas Day is a more conscious event. It’s one day – not six weeks – of just enough food and drink, good conversation and connection. I don’t do mindless gifts and haven’t for a long time.

I give gifts of service, time, words and support throughout the year rather than things and stuff that no one really needs. I celebrate connection with family and friends, rather than the birth of Jesus Christ – which let’s face it, isn’t why most people are doing Christmas.

It’s more conscious. The indulgence and unconsciousness have gone.

Sure, you can call me a hypocrite. Maybe I am. I’m trying to figure out this process too – I am flawed, and I never claim to have it all figured out. But I tried total denial of Christmas during the lockdowns of 2020 when I couldn’t see my family and I just felt sad. So instead, I’m trying to do this one day with meaning and purpose.

So for you, consider whether you have Christmas and other events and if you do, how can you do it more consciously. Don’t just follow blindly. Consider exactly what and why you are celebrating. Choose and understand your rituals and actions and be aware. Don’t celebrate mindlessly.

What aligns with your true understanding of the world? Who and what is important this year? What do you keep and what do you need to let go of, to stay aligned with your true soul and evolving self?

We’re all trying to figure it out. But the more we mindlessly and unconsciously comply with social programming, the more we reinforce it.

The choice is always yours…

…Liz Watt