19 December, 2019
You might know that Christmas is a special time for many people around the world. But did you know that the holiday can also be hilarious?
It turns out the holiday season is not just gifts and brightly lit trees but the perfect inspiration for clever jokes and funny failures. And what better place to share them than on social media?
So here are some of the most popular holiday-related images and memes right now. Even if you do not celebrate Christmas, you may still get a good laugh.
Behind enemy lines
It's no secret that, every year, cats turn colorful, shiny Christmas decorations into their very own military target. And, every year, people on social media find inventive ways to show just how set the animals are on destroying everything in sight.
Take one Twitter video shared by Gaml. Y. In it, a wild-acting cat sitting on a high cabinet tries to tear down some wall decorations. He falls to the floor but, no, that doesn't stop him! The cat jumps up onto the sofa and then the wall to finish the job.
The post reads, "When the Christmas decorations go up..." In other words, they don't stay up long at all!
In another meme shared widely on social media, what appears to be a massive cat stands looking down at a much smaller Santa Claus and his village. The image is just a camera trick, but it shows just how devious cats can be.
The message reads, "When you've already destroyed the Christmas tree and now it's time to take down Santa's village." As the story goes, Santa's village is the place where he and his helpers make toys for children around the world.
In other words, no target is safe from any cat. They will keep trying until they find a way – and, watch out because Santa's village is next!
Photo-ready Santa
Speaking of Santa, the round old man with the white beard and red suit has been part of Christmas traditions for centuries. Today, children in many countries still leave cookies and milk near the Christmas tree for Santa when he arrives.
But what if Santa stopped eating so many cookies? That is what one popular meme imagines. In the picture, Santa is much thinner, wears fashionable red clothing and looks more like a model than a grandfather.
It reads, "After Santa changed his diet and started using essential oils."
One of the most fun things about memes is seeing just how creative people can get by simply changing the caption on a photograph. The same photo of the beautiful, well-dressed Santa is getting a lot of different treatments on the web.
For example, an Instagram post shared by ecommerce girls shows the good-looking Santa with the caption, "After Santa gets a social media manager and elevates his online presence."
It's funny because it suggests that one of the most loved people in history cares what people think of him on the internet.
A lovable creature
Speaking of a big online presence, by now you may have seen at least one picture or video of Baby Yoda. The beloved creature from the Disney+ show "The Mandalorian" is not only a huge success on television. He is also a favorite in memes around the world.
One Instagram post shared by meme_land55, for example, imagines Baby Yoda as a child trying to spy on his father the night before Christmas.
In the picture, the little creature holds a drinking cup. The caption says, "Me getting some water at midnight to see my dad, NOT Santa, putting presents under the tree."
Right now, the drinking cup image of Baby Yoda is a favorite around the internet, and lots of people are putting their own words to the image.
For example, a post shared by Julie Benson on Twitter imagines Baby Yoda as a mother awaiting her child's reaction on Christmas Day. It reads, "Every mom on Christmas morning watching you open presents."
No matter the holiday or the place, anyone might be a little nervous about their child's reaction to a gift.
Well, that is our holiday story for today.
What funny Christmas or other holiday posts are popular in your country right now? We'd love to hear from you.
I'm Alice Bryant. And I'm Jill Robbins.
Alice Bryant wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
hilarious – adj. very funny
inspiration – n. something that makes someone want to do something or gives someone an idea about what to do or create
meme – n. usually, an image with a caption, which is spread from person to person on the internet
decorations – n. something that is added to something else to make it more attractive
cabinet – n. a piece of furniture that is used for storing things and usually has doors and shelves
sofa – n. a long and comfortable piece of furniture on which a person can sit or lie down
devious – adj. willing trick people in order to get what is wanted
caption – n. a sentence or group of words written on or next to a picture to explain what is being shown
fashionable – adj. dressing and acting in a way that is currently popular
elevate – v. to raise someone or something to a higher rank or level