Sheldon sits on Santa’s lap for a picture that he will gift to Amy by youtube.com
Christmas is just around the corner! And Sheldon Cooper is dreading every minute of it. Sheldon’s dislike for Christmas is a well-known fact. Many may think that it stems from his family being so Christian, but Sheldon reveals this is not the case.
Saturnalia
Sheldon and Leonard celebrating Saturnalia by wallpapers.brothersoft.com
In Season 2’s Christmas episode, Penny makes the mistake of asking Sheldon if they are going to put up a tree in his apartment. Sheldon replies that they will not celebrate the pagan holiday of Saturnalia. When Penny makes the mistake of asking what that is, Sheldon replies in kind:
“In the pre-Christian era, as the winter solstice approached and the plants died, pagans brought evergreen boughs into their homes as an act of sympathetic magic, intended to guard the life essences of the plants until spring. This custom was later appropriated by Northern Europeans and eventually it becomes the so-called Christmas tree.”
Thus Sheldon believes a holiday based on a pagan holiday is not worth celebrating. Of course, this never stops him from dressing up at Halloween. Note that in later seasons a Christmas tree is erected in Apartment 4A, but Sheldon has specific rules that must be followed when decorating.
The Season of Obligations
Sheldon is speechless after receiving the best Christmas gift ever from Penny by nofm-radio.com
No one hates obligations more than Sheldon Cooper. And to him, this is what Christmas is. One big obligation. As he explains to Penny, a gift is not something nice but it is an obligation for Sheldon to give something back. He runs into a dilemma when Penny gives him a napkin used and signed by Leonard Nimoy. Priceless.
Sheldon even attempts to use this to end Christmas at his apartment once and for all. After telling Amy not to get him anything, he goes and gets her the most wonderful and heartfelt present in the world. The present was intended to make her feel bad for not getting him anything. In fact, Amy made him some cookies from his Meemaw’s recipe which made Sheldon’s Christmas.
Despite the fact that Sheldon’s idea of a gift may sound ridiculous, there is a lot of truth to his words. I spend part of my holiday shopping wondering if I should get someone something ‘just in case’. The holiday is about giving, but we all want to make sure we stand on even ground with one another.
What Christmas Truly Means
The Big Bang gang gather to celebrate friendship and family by seat42f.com
Even Sheldon discovers that Christmas has greater meaning than pagan holidays and obligations. While these things are still present, so are the love, joy, and friendship that come with the holiday spirit. What are some things about Christmas that you do not like?
