Daily Dunklin Democrat: Column: : 'Too Much Christmas'

Brian Mitchell

Gather round! Oh. You already have. It's Christmas.

What's all the fuss? Why does Ed respond to a note asking him if he's heading up the Mizzou basketball game with a snippy, "Nope. Too much Christmas."?

Why is this FedEx's hugest time of year, given that we're all 'gathering' and stuff? Where are all those giant blue and red jumbo jets headed? North Pole? Bethlehem? Bedford Falls?

During the inaugural celebration bash, there was only a cradle.

As usually happens with these type things in our day and age, there began to be a lot of attention to the details. The swaddling thingies, the barn, the invitees, the entertainment, the lighting, the party favors.

Nativity: (noun) via Old French from Late Latin nativitas // the birth of Jesus Christ.

Yule: (noun) Old English, originally a name of a pagan feast lasting 12 days; related to Old Norse 'jol', Swedish 'jul', Gothic 'jiuleis'.

Saturnalia: (noun) from L. Saturnalia, ancient Roman festival of Saturn (held in December), a time of merrymaking ("Merry _") for all, from neut. pl. of adj. Saturnalis "pertaining to Saturn," from Saturnus. The extended sense of "period of unrestrained revelry" is first attested in 1782.

Christmas has become too much. It is too much to do, it is too much to study, it is too much for some to believe, it is too much for some to believe in.

It is too cool. It has no comparison. Think about it.

Every Christmas song, at least every old-timey one, seems like it had to be around forever because of how easy it is to sing, how harmonious it is. No other holiday, here or anywhere in the world, has that. Winter helps. Cold helps. Legends and myths and media and food help.

I mean: Reindeer? Chimney? Halos? Wise men? Fir tree? Red? Green? Blue? White? Gold? Ornaments? Lights? Fruitcake? Presents? Kringle? Claus? Harold's angels? Throw all those in a blender and out comes Christmas.

Put a turkey on the front end (Thanksgiving) and a bunch of drinking on the back end (New Year's Eve) and God Bless America With His Son and boy can we run with it!

Hey Eddie! Too much Christmas? You bet.

Brian K. Mitchell, an R.Ph.,

is theowner of Mitchell Pharmacy in Kennett. He can becontacted via e-mail atbmitchellrph@gmail.com,

or log on to mitchellpharmacy.com