If you were around the television in the early 1980s you'll remember the little catch phrase, "Where's the beef?"

"Where's the beef?" came to our attention in a Wendy's television commercial. This cute little old lady receives a hamburger from a Wendy's competitor with a small piece of beef sandwiched between two large pieces of bread, prompting her to exclaim, "Where's the beef?"

That little phrase has prominently been in my mind the past few days, only with a small twist. I keep hearing in my mind, "Where's the joy of the holiday season?"

Have you noticed how irritable so many people appear to be during this holiday season that is supposed to be celebrating the joy of Christmas?

I think I know why some are irritable.

First, you have a lot of people spending money they don't have on gifts for people they really don't even like, and the only time they'll see them is at Christmas at "family" get-togethers!

Second, you have a lot of people expecting to receive gifts that they have no idea what they're going to do with.

The end result is people who are not feeling to joyous!

Be that as it may, however, apparently the idea that suicides increase at Christmas time is false. According to Snopes.com, the claim that the suicide rate increases significantly during the winter holiday season is false.

Snopes.com refers readers to one of the largest studies on suicides at Christmas time. It says, "One of the largest studies examined seasonal trends in more than 3,670 suicides and about 3,300 psychiatric admissions to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, N.C. It found no increase in suicides or psychiatric admissions around the Christmas and New Year's holidays."

There is a joy to be experienced in this Christmas season. The joy comes from celebrating the greatest gift ever given: Jesus Christ!

Jack Rollins is the managing editor of the Daily Dunklin Democrat.