It is sad to see that every year Christmas becomes more and more materialist and less and less welcome in our lives. I'm going to ignore the religious aspects of the season because this is not a religious thread. There is nothing wrong with the whole materialistic Christmas that we have, the whole buying gifts, having a turkey on the 25th and a few extra days off work, old films on the tv, all that is what makes Christmas so special and its what brings families a little closer for a few days.

The big problem is that every year we get it shoved down our throats earlier and ealier until by the time it arrives we are sick of it before its begun.Christmas trees and cards, santas and snowmen, toys and games all appearing in windows and adverts months before December 25th.  We all used to enjoy the January sales so we could pick up a bargain but why bother now when all the stores are having the big sales before Christmas anyway.

The first Christmas I remember we were at my nans house and there was an old fashioned coal/wood fire, we had bread on a toasting fork and my parents came in, they had got me a train set I think, second hand because we weren't well off then.

My personal belief is that Christmas should be banned until December 1st and that somehow they try and put the Christmas spirit back into the holiday, and I hope they do before it just becomes an annual financial black hole for us all.

Indeed, well said Senote.

I sooooo much agree with you, Senote.  Holidays of every kind have been "created" and now serve the questionable purpose of promoting a mindless rush to purchase "love" for everyone for every possible reason.  But Christmas, in my opinion, is the worst.

I love the simple traditions around the holidays, but I have grown to detest the bombardment of advertising and the ever more unrealistic expectations which are fed by it.

I plan to have a very simple holiday this year. I also plan to make my gifts when possible, for example creating cds of music that I appreciate, or to keep any gifts extremely simple, for example second hand books.  This is practical for me at the moment, but there were years when my life was different and I rushed out to buy expensive presents for many in my very large extended family.  

I now see this behavior for what it often is: an excuse for excessive pride, greed, escape from boredom, cultural brainwashing, and a tremendous waste of money which could feed the hungry or make other important contributions in the world.  This is an illness in modern society, in my opinion.

love, blink

Yet despite this, there is a wonderful, magical element to Christmas which I can feel through the materialism.  Christ the man would have been bewildered by the Santa suits, snowmen, and pagan red and green tree symbols.  The divine aspect of him must smile with the magic of the holiday, however.

With Christmas there is true joy, hope, birth, and a reason to be positive.  Yes, kids mistake the gift giving as a means and end, but they are enchanted by the mood, the ambiance, the whole kit 'n kaboodle.  

I'm Jewish, and yet, I marvel at all the pomp, the caroling is wonderful.  

So lighten up you ol' Scrooges out there  and get out the Mistletoe.


Matthew

DocM wrote on Dec 7^th, 2006 at 11:43pm:

Yet despite this, there is a wonderful, magical element to Christmas which I can feel through the materialism.  Christ the man would have been bewildered by the Santa suits, snowmen, and pagan red and green tree symbols.  The divine aspect of him must smile with the magic of the holiday, however. With Christmas there is true joy, hope, birth, and a reason to be positive.  Yes, kids mistake the gift giving as a means and end, but they are enchanted by the mood, the ambiance, the whole kit 'n kaboodle.

Thats part of what I'm saying, theres no reason why we can't all have the same kind of christmas we had as children, if perhaps without the magic of 'santa'


DocM wrote on Dec 7^th, 2006 at 11:43pm:

I'm Jewish, and yet, I marvel at all the pomp, the caroling is wonderful. So lighten up you ol' Scrooges out there  and get out the Mistletoe. Matthew

LOL Scrooge is often portrayed as a moneylender or banker, while he might have been a miserable old sod im sure he would have loved christmas for the financial aspect :P

I agree that Christmas is too materaialistic
This year I was amazed to see christmas decorations available in Kmart in June!
Hubby worked at a bakery and they bake the Easter buns from mid December and freeze them!
We are keeping it simple this year, by choice and by the fact that we can't justify lining the pockets of th ebig companies
love to all
Cathy b