The Holiday Phenomenon
(Don’t show this one to the kids).
Fire crackling. The ambiance of vibrant, twinkling lights. An old record. The smell of wrapping paper, pine and spicy candles. Soup. Distant, jingling bells. Cozy heat. Smiling. Fuzzy socks. Fullness. Sleepiness. Home.
Any one of us can associate the holidays with numerous things — good or bad. Or both.
Love, loss, renewal, remembrance, togetherness, isolation, longing, contentment…
Regardless of any negatives that join the party — for me, at least — there always seems to be a certain all-encompassing feeling; an entity swathed in overpowering memories; a warmth and energy that is not necessarily tangible.
Christmas, for one, goes beyond a mere celebration.
Despite the different connections we each may have to the holidays, the one thing a lot of us seem to have in common is the strength of this connection; a level of such intensity that people are either whisked to this “magical,” intoxicating state, or they’re nearly repulsed by the extent of these festivities.
I’m sure there are some in-betweeners, but I’m curious about those of us who do get swept in the wonderland.
In short, the holidays are just an evocative phenomenon.
I’d make the case that Christmas, specifically, is embedded so strongly into our psyches and hearts simply because of this: it’s a repeated sensory experience that we’ve been fostering since childhood. The consistent set of circumstances and surroundings become a stimulus of their own.
The smells, the sounds, the sights, the temperature and triggering atmosphere… it’s like a perfectly curated bubble of sensation, manipulating your brain into travelling to that same place so vividly. It becomes its own force.
I don’t intend to demean the magic of Christmas. I’m just enthralled by the idea that we can be influenced by something so abstract so perfectly.
Of course Christmas is special, but I think the reason people are so strongly attached to it has more to do with the power of nostalgia (it more easily “transports” you) than it does with the actual festivities of the present.
Imagine how moved by something else we might be if we heard the same songs resounding in our ears every time we encountered them. (Christmas bells can be like a Pavlovian prompt); if we were surrounded by the same decor, lighting and mood; aromas and emotions; rituals. Same time, every year. It’s the ultimate orchestration.
Why is it so evocative? My hunches involve the wonder of the brain.
For one, think of the wave of smells (perhaps pine, chestnuts, peppermint, cinnamon) that consume the air for this extended period. It’s been shown that our sense of smell has the strongest association with memory and thus can trigger stronger recollections of our past experiences.
Second, we know lighting affects our mood.
Third, music (like many other auditory stimuli) can alter your brain waves, so that’s something to ponder the next time you hear your favorite carol.
Further, experiences that mix with strong emotions are more likely to embed themselves in our brains and form lasting memories; the most powerful ones. (It’s also interesting to consider that childhood “firsts” tend to stick with us throughout our lives).
Basically, you’re more susceptible to feel a deeper tie to something like Christmas because the holiday experience causes your neural connections to have a strong, established network of sensations ready to kick off; almost like an automatic reward system.
These repeated experiences, year after year, have made it easier to get to this “headspace” time and again.
It’s odd to imagine how our perceptions have been shaped by these simple yet unwavering traditions.
The Claus Cause
I’m going to veer a little bit and acknowledge another potentially major detail tied to emotionally charged recollections: trauma. (How many of you were genuinely distressed when you discovered the “lie” of Santa Claus?). In all seriousness, think about how you’d feel today if you spent years of your life believing in something (a sort of faith, really) and then realized it was all a deception.
(This is dramatic, like my Santa meltdown. Bear with me).
On top of that, the very people who raised you were revealed to be fraudulent; insincere in their insistence of your very core beliefs.
Magic turned into doubt. Faith turned into skepticism and confusion. (After this revelation, I was all… “What is true and what is real? Who can I trust? What else is a hoax?).
We recognize this “trauma” as a right of passage (granted, it’s humorous and meaningless for many), but I think the absurdity of it slips under the radar.
Honestly. Your very spirit had such a connection to something that was rooted in faith — tied to morals, core values, hope, excitement, and even mixed with stress and chaos; the pressure to “perform” — all for an extended period of time, constantly settling into your psyche. Then it was halted. Franky, it’s quite disorienting.
Everything that Christmas can symbolize… home, belonging, comfort, familiarity; this dependable occurrence; a connection to your inner spirit; your dreams and wishes, your fears and expectations, your annual shame (do I deserve toys?); family ties, kindness; this association with true magic and possibility… it all just seemingly ceased to be as authentic.
It’s not so much the existence of myths, but the shift in the overall sensation and soul of your precious Christmas experience. That’s haunting.
The sensitivity we feel because of this change, and even all the pressure and influence the media puts on the holidays, all of this along with the alluring good times… this is the perfect recipe for an emotional albeit nostalgia roller coaster.
It’s no wonder we’re so damn crazy during this time.
The holidays aren’t merely a “time of year,” but a shift in spirits; vibes; mental states.
We’re not solely passing the holiday nights with fresh eyes. We’re brought back to this incredible dome of feeling like magnets; biased in our sight.
We’ve been trained to charge up.
However, this is the beauty of it. I think we can use this phenomenon to our advantage.
I can’t help but wonder what other experiences and times of the seasons we can make so strong as Christmas; things we will want to hold on to with the same level of magnetism.
Of course there are similar instances, such as with summertime (the smell of sunscreen, the sound of lawnmowers, a fresh watermelon, etc.), but none quite as consistent as the holidays. None quite as imposing.
This shouldn’t take the magic out of it, though. We don’t have to analyze it to bits. We don’t even have to acknowledge it.
Whatever the reasons are for our special bond with this period, the feeling is there. And it always will be. Whenever you allow it to be.
The reality is it’s easy to keep the magic alive — if we dig deep enough — because this “special” seed has always been there. It’s a seed of mystery, charm, fantasy, reflection, enchantment, inner fire.
Even if it’s some grand illusion, it’s still quite remarkable; for something to carry on for generations through cultures and never cease to dwindle in its power.
It’s a lot like the innate capabilities within us; this genuinely endless reserve of feeling.
That, alone, is something to celebrate.
