Techmas: Jesus? Who The Hell Is He - Where's My iPad!

It seems these days people are obsessed with gadgetry. iPhones, iPads, iPods, Blackberrys, HTC handsets, laptops, netbooks, PDAs, bluetooth headsets, computer chips in your head that communicate for you from your bed...the list is virtually endless. Okay, I perhaps made the last one up, but it really is just a matter of time until that too is available.

Christmas is often a time people use to get their hands on said gadgets - it's an excuse to rationalise spending £500+ on things that throughout the year they lived quite comfortably without. Now I'm sure by now the Church has been alerted through their online tabs on the sinful world (can you tell I'm both paranoid about the Church and also an Atheist? How ironic!) of my bad mouthing of Christmas, but at a mere 21 I am already sick of the tacky fiasco that surrounds something that few people care about, in it's original sense that is. Gifts were originally a gesture of goodwill, but it's now all about monetary value.

I'm aware that my above ramblings may be somewhat disjointed and out of the blue - but let me explain further.

I remember as a child looking forward to the festive holidays because you got to see your family, the whole day was a celebration and we would sit around the television watching Bed Knobs and Broomsticks, Mary Poppins, It's a Wonderful Life and so on. Of course as a small child I was also highly enthralled to receive my Fisher Price kitchen - with an assortment of plastic groceries, but forgive me for that - I was after all, a child.

The older I have become, the more I have become a cynic. I go into town and hear people saying "I want that" every other second and it winds me up to no end. When I had a rant (me? Never!) to my Dad about why we even celebrate it in a completely Atheist household, he said that it's more of a winter festival than a celebration of Jesus Christ's birthday. I thought that was actually a much better description. People enjoy having something to build up to and work towards during the cold winter when it's dark and miserable. It helps pass the time, and it's a chance for people to get together I suppose.

I like that idea much more.

I think people should try having a Christmas where they all spend a small set amount on each other, but put the effort in in terms of what they are giving, as oppose to how much they are giving. Then, their day would be spent less focussed on their pile of gifts, and instead enjoy the warmth, food and relaxing break from their hectic daily lives. To some extent my family have decided to do that this year, as we all collectively do not care hugely for it.

I'm going to start celebrating Steve Jobs' birthday instead - I care more about him and what he has brought to the world than I do Jesus. At least I'm being honest.

Happy Hanukkah folks!