Christmas Yet To Come

~ beetleypete

Inspired by the novella ‘A Christmas Carol’, written by Charles Dickens in 1843, I have dealt with Christmas Present, and Christmas Past.

But what of ‘Christmas Yet To Come’?

At my age, I don’t know how many more Christmases I will be around for. But I suspect they will start to feel very different from those that went before. I am not really predicting anything, but I do have some thoughts on how that difference might show itself.

Online shopping will dominate of course. It already does that, but there is every chance that physical shops will cease to exist. The sending of Christmas cards will be a thing of the past too. With younger people having little or no experience of sending letters and cards, added to the increased costs of posting them, that tradition will be consigned to history, I am sure.

Home TV screens are certain to get bigger too. Being able to stream anything on demand will put an end to the usual batch of TV ‘Specials’ that I grew up with, and are still around today. That might actually be a good thing. Those big screens will also allow more virtual contact with friends and relatives in real time, meaning that you could feasibly have a Christmas celebration electronically, without leaving your home.

And as Global Warming becomes more apparent, and the ‘carbon footprint’ of travelling has greater impact, flying around the world to see family members or enjoy seasonal holiday breaks will also become a memory.

Then there is the preparation and cooking of food. It can’t be that long before a turkey dinner with all the trimmings will be able to be delivered to your door in twenty minutes. Delivery companies will add extras like Christmas Cake, Yule Log, and Mince Pies to their menus, and probably even supply any booze you want too. You will able to click a few boxes on a Phone App, and set the table ready to hear the doorbell ring.

The virtual aspect of life might well extend to religious services too. Why go out in the cold to sit in a draughty church, when that can all come to you on your 100-inch TV? That’s if there is anyone left who still remembers it is a religious festival of course.

I won’t be around to see all of this, but I might still be alive for some of it.

What about you? How do you see Chrsitmas changing? Or perhaps you don’t think it will.

Let me know in the comments.

44 thoughts on “Christmas Yet To Come”

  1. I absolutely love writing cards and refuse to give in to solely wishing someone a happy birthday or merry Christmas on Facebook, for instance. I think the majority want an easy life, and technology can do most things nowadays. I don’t want Christmas to become dependant on technology. That really is a daunting thought.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  2. Seems you are an “early bird” in thinking on Christmas, these days, Pete! 😉 Unlike the industry, starting with Christmas after Easter 😉 my personal feeling is starting only some days before the official celebrations.With the new possibilities having contact with people in former days you only got to meet on such “holy days”, for me these days having less importance, now. Sorry,i am grewing out of Christmas too. Michael

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. I see the same future-There is a new way of socializing amongst the younger folks–and they all seem quite satisfied with it.,though their social abilities have diminished. Sadly, at the rate of speed, this is happening, it may be not as long as we think. Of course, I am old fashioned-but I could go a lot further on this topic having taught children for thirty years. Little remains sacred, these days.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. I think people will still want to gather together and prepare their own food. I think virtual things will be even more “real” than you are imagining with augmented and virtual reality, which I will welcome as someone who lives very far from their family.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  6. A couple of things you mentioned are already happening here. Holiday dinners for the past few years could be ordered from grocery stores. Of course, now there are dedicated food delivery services. The other night, Jimmy Fallon said Samsung (or some electronics company) is offering a 120-inch TV for something like $100,000. So, my friend, you’re pretty “on time” with your predictions!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  7. I am just beginning to explore the differences between real and “virtual” events. I think people will come to appreciate real ones over the virtual once they remember how much more satisfying they are.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  10. Quite prophetic, Pete. I was going to ask you about your thoughts on Vision for A New World and you already answered it. We don’t leave our couch (or home) is becoming a reality. I have heard Silicon Valley in the USA has caused it.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. When the time comes that people stop moving around at all, they will die young from lack of exercise. That will be when AI starts to take over, I suspect. I doubt the brave new world will be much of a place to live in, so I don’t feel sad that I won’t be here to see it.
      Best wishes, Pete.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. I can so easily remember my childhood Christmases but the ones I provided for my own children sort of blend together and honestly they’re kind of foggy? I must be getting old. The years went by so fast. I hope families continue to gather around the table, break a little bread, and be a blessing to one another. Just that would be enough. C

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  15. That all sounds very plausible, Pete. I can’t see physical shops disappearing for a good while yet, but I think the larger department stores will gradually disappear because they have become unprofitable with so many overheads, so smaller, local shops better able to cater for local custom [shades of The League of Gentlemen! 😉 should flourish, which for me is a good thing. Cheers, Jon.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

Leave a reply to beetleypete Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.