WrestleMania is Like Christmas...

'Twas the night before WrestleMania, in Randy Orton's house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...although Triple H was about to burst in with his sledgehammer!

I apologize for my very bad joke, but I was thinking earlier about how similar WrestleMania is to Christmas. All year we look forward to WrestleMania, just like Christmas, because they are both the biggest events on their respective calendars. But why do I think they are alike?

Similar to advent calendars, fans of the WWE have the road to WrestleMania. In stead of a chocolate a day, we get an action packed show of RAW and SmackDown every week, building our anticipation to the big day.

This years Road to WrestleMania has been varied, with some rivalries being exciting, and others being lackluster. But we all know where they are heading, and there is little more exciting than knowing how close you are to a WrestleMania.

WrestleMania and Christmas have different meanings for children and adults too; children see the day almost like they would see Santa, with an air of mystery and fascination. Adults can see past all the kayfabe, and enjoy the day for what it is (probably having several beers, again like at Christmas.)

We as WWE fans tend to get ridiculed for watching wrestling, with most people saying “you know its fake don’t you?” Well we do know it’s fake, just like many things about Christmas, but it doesn’t stop us having a damn good time.

Even the events surrounding WrestleMania have similarities with Christmas. For Christmas Eve there is the Hall of Fame ceremony, and Boxing Day is replaced with RAW.

Then comes Backlash, which in a lot of ways is similar to New Years Eve; as all the old rivalries end, and we can look forward to a new year leading up to WrestleMania.

With the Draft so closely following WrestleMania this year, this will be even more emphasized. All the rosters will be shaken up and there will be a new feel to the WWE.

There’s always one certainty with Christmas and WrestleMania, and that is that you will spend one hell of a lot of money. The pay per view itself costs a bomb, and I always seem to spend far too much buying food and drink for it.

Another given for WrestleMania is that a blast from the past will appear, probably looking too far out their depth, and a little over the hill. Just like Grandparents when they try to eat too much turkey, these wrestlers usually struggle in the ring, but we all have a good laugh about it.

In a slightly more spiritual sense WrestleMania is a pilgrimage for many WWE fans. Like Christians descending on holy ground, or attending mass at their church, WrestleMania means more than just wrestling to the fans in attendance, and some will travel many miles to be a part of it.

After WrestleMania some feel let down, like all the hype has been for nothing. As I have gotten older I have begun to feel the same way about Christmas. When I was young Christmas seemed so exciting and surreal, now it’s just the culmination of far too many days spent shopping and organizing.

Many WWE fans put a lot of pressure on WrestleMania to deliver year after year, and often find they are let down. If you are one of these people you only have yourself to blame.

WrestleMania, like Christmas, shouldn’t be about what we receive. Enjoy the occasion. Don’t spend the day alone, gather your friends and even family, and take WrestleMania for what it is.

I have heard many people say how this years WrestleMania is going to be bad, and how it won’t deliver, and they are fully entitled to that opinion. But take it from me, if you expect it to be bad, you probably won’t enjoy it.

Go into WrestleMania open minded, because behind all the hype, buildup and publicity, there is going to be some fantastic wrestling on offer. WrestleMania comes but once a year, don’t squander yours.