’Tis the Season… For What, Exactly?

Every year as Christmas approaches, we hear those iconic words: ’Tis the season. They’re sprinkled across commercials, greeting cards, songs, and conversations like glitter on a kindergarten craft project — beautiful, excessive, and impossible to clean up. At first glance, it’s clear we’re talking about the Christmas season — snowflakes, carols, and an alarming increase in Hallmark movie consumption.

But have you ever stopped to wonder: what season, exactly, are we referring to? And more importantly, why do we reserve this phrase exclusively for Christmas? After all, every season is a season, isn’t it? Let’s explore.

’Tis the Season for Ambiguity

Imagine if we used ’Tis the season for every other season. In spring:

“’Tis the season for hay fever, mud puddles, and wondering why your daffodils are blooming crooked!”

Or in summer:

“’Tis the season for awkward tan lines, melted popsicles, and family vacations that test the limits of air conditioning and patience.”

How about fall?

“’Tis the season for pumpkin-spiced everything, decorative gourds, and that one sweater you pretend is new but you’ve worn for five years.”

Even Valentine’s Day has its own charm:

“’Tis the season for overpriced chocolates, ill-advised love confessions, and those little candy hearts that taste like regret.”

And then there’s tax season:

“’Tis the season for crying over receipts and wondering if your cat can be considered a dependent.”

Frankly, any season could lay claim to ’Tis the season. Yet, we all know that Christmas takes the crown. Why? Because Christmas isn’t just a season — it’s an event. It’s not just winter with twinkly lights; it’s a global celebration of joy, love, and the fine art of hiding presents in the closet without forgetting where you put them.

Why Christmas Owns ’Tis the Season

I’m grateful that Christmas gets to monopolize this phrase because Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. It’s the season where we collectively pause (in between shopping trips, of course) to focus on giving, sharing, and coming together.

Sure, we say it during the Fourth of July while grilling hamburgers, but does ’Tis the season have the same weight when you’re standing over a firework-lit barbecue and yelling at Uncle Mike to stop throwing sparklers at the dog? Not quite. Christmas gives ’Tis the season its true depth, reminding us that this isn’t just a time for presents but a time for presence — with each other, with our faith, and with the world around us.

Also, let’s be honest, no other season has the sheer audacity to make us put inflatable reindeer on our roofs or to inspire commercials where people casually gift each other cars with giant bows. Christmas has style.

’Tis the Season to Celebrate

So yes, ’Tis the season could theoretically apply to anything — ’Tis the season for mosquito bites in July, ’Tis the season for broken New Year’s resolutions in January. But for me, it’s about this season — the one that makes you hum along to carols you didn’t even know you knew, that has you digging out your great-grandma’s cookie recipe and forgetting halfway through what “a pinch” actually means, and that reminds you to call that one uncle who tells the same joke every year (and still laughs the hardest).

Because ’Tis the season… for joy, for hope, for laughter, and for love. Whether you’re stringing lights or untangling them for the fifth time, wrapping gifts or re-wrapping them because the dog got involved, Christmas makes it all worth it.

Conclusion

So next time you hear someone say ’Tis the season, give them a knowing smile. Yes, it could mean anything. But we all know it really means Christmas. After all, ’Tis the season for believing in magic — even if that magic is just finding the end of the tape while wrapping presents.

Or avoiding your neighbor’s 12-foot inflatable Santa that deflates every night in a way that’s more horror movie than holiday spirit.

Or realizing, once again, that your kids’ Christmas pageant costume is due tomorrow, and somehow you’re out of glitter glue and sanity.

Because truly, ’Tis the season to laugh at the chaos and love every second of it.