How I Stole Christmas

When green and red Christmas decorations start going up everywhere, I imagine myself turning green and furry, into the Dr. Seuss character: the Grinch.

The Grinch is a fictional character from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, a children’s picture book written by Dr. Seuss published in 1957. In the book, the Grinch attempts to ruin Christmas by stealing holiday decorations and gifts. Sometimes, during the holiday season, I want to steal the gifts and happiness everyone seems to have.

On social media, holidays are romanticized, with influencers posting decorations and parties, but it seems to be impossible to get the perfect decorations and photos. Especially in New York, many tourists fill up the Christmas villages, making them difficult to enjoy at leisure. With finals ending two days before Christmas Eve for NYU students this year, we cannot appreciate the excitement during the days leading up to Christmas.

I think the increasing emphasis on materialism — and thus pressure to find the perfect gifts for friends and family while on a budget — also reduces the joy of the holiday season. With corporations having promotions and influencers posting “wishlist ideas,” the gift-giving culture is normalized, and when we do not receive the gift we were expecting or hoping for, we become disappointed.

However, at the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, when the Grinch has stolen their gifts, the people still celebrate Christmas, gathering and singing carols, and he learns that Christmas means more than just material goods. Perhaps we, too, need to realize that the real value of holidays lies in the opportunity to spend time and celebrate with our families.