Holidays: 'Tis the season to be grumpy

It's that time of the year again. You know ... that time. I'm contractually obligated to not mention what time that is because it will offend someone, but it's certainly that time.

So go about your business quietly this holiday season, and try not to get into anybody's way.

But really? Do you people seriously care? On Dec. 25, more than 200 million people in this country are going to be celebrating Christmas, and you not talking about it isn't going to change that.

Look, it's one thing if someone is shoving crucifixes in your face and screaming at you about Bible study, but if they want to put a tree up in the business school, let them do it. It'll inject some emotion into that lifeless and cold robot factory, anyways.

And Christmas isn't even a winter holiday anymore. It starts a couple days before Halloween and ends sometime in mid-July. Christmas isn't one day; it has become an entity that's going to consume us all. And religious? Come on, dude. The closest you've probably all come to being religious about Christmas is thinking, "Christ, that's an expensive necklace. But I have to get her something because I can't dump her this close to Christmas."

Or the female version of that: "Jesus, that's how much video games cost? Screw it, I'm dumping him. I don't care how close to Christmas it is."

The Christmas spirit is commercial. People like trees and presents and lights. It's not about the messiah and the baby in the manger and all that. If the business school put up a display of the virgin birth, that would be a different matter. (And kind of awkward.) Don't get any ideas, you silly university, you.

But people keep getting offended and, honestly, I think a lot of people just like being angry at things, which is what I think led Sala Levin and Rachel Baltuch to write a letter to the editor last week saying they didn't appreciate the use of university funds for a religious display. We all saw where that one was going: The letter seemed like a slight overreaction, but it was nothing compared to some of the comments on The Diamondback's website.

Those comments were got ugly. They got ugly faster than Amy Winehouse. What is it about this season that brings out the worst in people?

You all need to stop getting offended because your winter holiday does this and their winter holiday does that. Here's something you might not know about Rob Gindes: I'm Jewish. Surprise! I couldn't give less of a crap what you celebrate. Celebrate "I hate Rob Gindes" day, for all I care. And put up your Rob Gindes hate trees. And sing your Rob Gindes hate carols. You have my guarantee that I won't get offended.

And that, my friends, is the rarest gift of all.

Rob Gindes is a junior journalism major. He can be reached at gindesdbk@gmail.com.