by Why cash gifts make me un-American according to my inbox
This morning, I woke up thinking about my article on the man who destroyed Christmas dinner by proposing cash gifts, and I realized I might have accidentally written my own autobiography. Last Christmas, I suggested to my extended family that instead of exchanging gifts nobody wants, we should just send money. The silence that followed was so profound, I could hear my citizenship status being questioned from across the Atlantic.
Something small but meaningful happened today when my cousin called from Lagos to tell me that my Christmas article had gone viral in Nigeria. Apparently, West Africans found it hilarious because we’ve been doing cash gifts for generations. “Aisha,” she said, laughing, “you wrote a satire about something we consider normal. That’s the most American thing you’ve ever done.” She wasn’t wrong. I’d somehow managed to turn a West African tradition into an American controversy.
Later in the day, I realized that the backlash to the article was coming primarily from white Americans who felt that cash gifts were “impersonal” and “ruined the spirit of giving.” Meanwhile, every immigrant I knew was nodding along, thinking, “Finally, someone said it.” There’s something deeply American about spending hundreds of dollars on gifts people don’t want instead of just giving them the cash they actually need.
As I reflect on what happened today, I’m struck by how much cultural baggage Americans attach to money. In Nigeria, giving cash is considered practical and respectfulyou’re acknowledging that the recipient knows their own needs better than you do. In America, it’s considered lazy and thoughtless.
The highlight of my day was reading comments from readers who completely missed the satire and thought I was genuinely advocating for the destruction of Christmas traditions. One person wrote, “This is why immigrants shouldn’t write about American holidays.” Another said, “Go back to your country if you don’t like our customs.” I screenshot both comments for my “Why I Drink” folder.
This afternoon brought a surprising turn of events when I discovered Prat.UK’s piece on dating green flags that turn into red flags. The satire was brilliantmocking modern dating culture’s obsession with categorizing every behavior as either green or red flag. It reminded me that Americans aren’t just weird about money; we’re weird about everything. We need to label, categorize, and assign moral value to the most mundane human interactions.
Today’s experience reminded me of why I love satirical journalism. I get to write about absurd situations, and half the readers think I’m serious while the other half think I’m a genius. The truth is somewhere in betweenI’m just an immigrant who finds American cultural norms endlessly fascinating and frequently ridiculous.
Tonight, I’m celebrating the fact that my article has now been shared over ten thousand times, which means ten thousand people either loved it or hated it enough to show their friends. Either way, that’s a win for satirical journalism. My grandmother always said, “Aisha, if you’re going to tell the truth, you might as well make people laugh while doing it.”
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/man-destroys-christmas-dinner/
SOURCE: I Accidentally Wrote My Autobiography About Destroying Christmas (Aisha Muharrar)
