My dad and I have a Christmas tradition where we buy Christmas themed animated plushies. Each year around December, we go to Walgreens and pick up the plush that is the most ridiculous to add to our collection. This year, we got a plush of a DJ themed Santa singing a parody version of the song “Baby Got Back” where instead of singing about big butts, Santa sings about big presents.
Everyone has their own traditions regardless of the holidays they celebrate, and it brings a bit of whimsy to your life, which is especially necessary when going through a rough patch. The small things that bring joy are often overlooked, especially when they seem arbitrary and silly, but they can mean a lot.
Our favorite animated plush by far is the one we call the “Selfie Snowman” created by the brand Gemmy Industries in 2015. He walks around holding a phone in his hand, and holds up a peace sign in his other hand. He sings about taking “Christmas selfies” and the phone flashes while he dances. I cannot recall why this one became our favorite, but we lament the fact that he broke a couple of years ago due to battery corrosion. Since he doesn’t work as an animated plush anymore, he now serves as our Christmas tree topper.
We have many inside jokes about the plush, saying that one day he will come back to life when the world needs him the most– and that he is the embodiment of Christmas spirit and joy. Among all of the animated plushies, Selfie Snowman rises above the rest and represents the memories I had with Christmas and the traditions that come with it.
Traditions have always existed often including religious customs, beliefs, offerings, and rituals. The word tradition itself comes from the Latin word traditio through French, which is the noun for the word tradere, meaning to transmit, hand over, or give for safekeeping. The concept itself is very flexible and refers to many different things, and the concept has shifted over time to include things that are seen as arbitrary–like the Selfie Snowman.
Sometimes I wonder what the people in the far off future will think when they see the things of our era. Will they will treat our traditions with the same importance as we view ancient traditions. Maybe they will discover Selfie Snowman and bring him back to life and question what a “Christmas” or a “selfie” is. They’ll view his song and dance as primitive, and place him in a museum, just like we do to ancient traditional objects.
Regardless of your religious beliefs, ideals, what you celebrate–we all have our own traditions that we hold near and dear to our hearts. These traditions make up our cultures, beliefs, and who we are as people, regardless of how silly they may sometimes seem. They connect us to the people we love and remind us of the memories we make so we never forget them.
As Selfie Snowman said, “Quick! Let me take a selfie!”
