Antonio Addessi

For The Maine Campus

It seems as if just yesterday it was 60 degrees outside and everyone was excited for a new year and a new semester getting underway. In just one short week, the semester will be over. Finals will come and go, giving us a well deserved winter break. I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait another second. During this stressful time, however, we forget that the holidays are already upon us. Although some of us may not be religious, celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, or even care about the holidays, there is always a positive side to this time of year.

There are plenty of things we do in our daily lives that are trivial and pointless in the long run, but that doesn’t mean we can’t overcome the consumerism-driven side of the holidays. Black Friday is a perfect example of something that is not necessary in society. The number of people who have been injured or, worse, killed trying to get the best deals on meaningless stuff cannot go unnoticed.

Dying for one’s country is one thing, but dying for a Tickle Me Elmo or a half-priced big screen TV is just ridiculous. Why can’t we see through big business and realize that it is just a gimmick? Taking our hard earned money is all that the retail business is there for and it’s time that it stopped.

Big business has been seen a lot in the news lately. Walmart and McDonald’s, the two biggest companies in America, treat their employees like dirt and, on days like Thanksgiving when they should be home with their families, force them to work. We have lost touch with what the holidays truly are for: being with family and friends and showing how much we care for each other.

I know that most people aren’t religious anymore. For those who are, that’s great! Some people need something to live for, especially when their lives are nowhere near perfect or happy. The holiday season, though, does not need to be a religious war or take on a consumerist ideology. For the sake of humanity, we can take back the holiday season if we open our eyes to the fact that we have each other and, in the context of this, having a new PlayStation means nothing.

The materialist mentality is a thing of the past. This month I want to challenge you, my Black Bear brothers and sisters. We deserve happiness and love. We can give that with a hug, a kiss, or even a pumpkin pie. I don’t need anything material-wise for Christmas. I just want my friends and family around me. Isn’t that what we should focus on regardless of whether we believe in Santa or practice any religion?

We are going to be passing into yet another year — 2014. And in this year, we will start yet another semester here at UMaine. How do you want to remember 2013? Do you want to remember playing Grand Theft Auto V for 36 straight hours or the memorable time that you had sharing your holiday with friends and family? I think that we can make a difference in each other’s lives this holiday if we get closer, make new friends and tell the old ones that we love and care for them. I believe in you UMaine; let’s have a wonderful, stress-free break filled with love!