Christmas has come and gone! Our long national nightmare is over...for now.

(a looooong rant, be warned and please forgive, but this has been festering for a while now)

It happens every year.

The frustrating, mind-bending build-up to the day that, as of six hours and nine minutes ago (Eastern Standard Time), finally shuffled its way into the been-there-done-that section of the calendar, has thankfully concluded. I, as always, am left with a nest of conflicting thoughts and emotions in the aftermath of Christmas.

I am warmed tonight by the days I got to spend with my mother over this past weekend, happy to be wearing a nice new shirt I unwrapped from the pretty paper on Christmas morning, thrilled that the berzerker-mode shoppers will retreat (after one more insane return-everything day) and the traffic in and around my city will ease...but also sickened somewhere in my soul and spirit by the whole thing, by what I view as an absolutely awful charade which says many sorry things about us as a nation, a culture, and an economy.

A lot of masks get peeled off during this time of year, and not a lot of what lies beneath is pleasing to see.

I don't know what it is like where you live, but here in Boston, the pre-Christmas marketing drive starts nowadays in late October. Well, in reality, around here it never really ends. The people who own the Bed, Bath and Beyond chain of stores - which are making a big push into the Northeast - also own these things called The Christmas Tree Stores. The Christmas Tree Store is the place where you can buy (in my opinion, please don't be offended if you shop there, I just have no use for the place) useless trinkets, decorations and other sundry items of unutterably poor craft and quality, at super-cheap prices. There are a bunch of them around here, so the TV and radio and newspaper ads are a constant thing. Their motto/creed/musical jingle, "Don't You Just Love a Bargain!" is ubiquitous in this part of the planet, so in a sense, Christmas never really ends here...nor does it begin. It just Is.

The real serious stuff, however, started in late October this year. It used to be early December, about a thousand years ago (or so it seems). Then it bled into November, kicking off the day after Thanksgiving in what has become the closest thing to a legalized riot we are ever likely to see, and stayed that way for a while. That was alright, it made sense, because we're talking about "the holidays," and that day-after-Thanksgiving thing has become this crazed capitalist national holiday. Then, a few years ago, it started creeping into early November. This year, for the first time, I saw Christmas decorations in a store and heard Christmas music on the radio, just before Halloween. I stopped both times and said to myself, "You're shitting me. It's freakin' October."

But it was true. I had not yet had the opportunity to drop one single piece of candy into the proffered pillowcase of one single spookily-masked child (because that night, one of my favorites to be honest, was still about 100 hours away), nor had I seen a turkey-oriented Thanksgiving decoration or advertisement anywhere...but here was Christmas, two long whopping months early. My stomach, to be absolutely honest, quite completely turned over on itself. I hadn't had even the slightest chance to develop the psychological calluses needed to endure the process, and was caught flat-footed. I think I actually gaped when I saw the wreaths and the lights in that store. It was marketing by ambush, as far as I was concerned, and it freaked me out.

Why did it "freak me out"? Well, here's the thing. Leaving aside the fact that I absolutely detest virtually all Christmas music - the result of a stupefyingly horrific department store retail job in high school that subjected me, for that entire December, to a 45-minute tape of saccarine Anne Murray Xmas tunes and that Feliz Navidad ditty played constantly on a loop from a speaker right over my head during every single second of all of my my eight-hours-a-day shifts - and break out in hives and bleeding string warts if I hear the damnable stuff for more than three minutes at a time, I have what I consider a serious and legitimate concern about what this ever-lengthening Christmas phenomenon means to the basic underpinnings of our national economy.

It seems to me that, for a while now, the local news reports we see just before, and just after, the Christmas shopping blitzkreig, carry all these stories about how all the merchants and store owners are in a frenzy...lighting candles in church, sacrificing goats and/or virgins, praying to whatever gods and/or demons, and basically doing whatever they can think of...in the hope that the Gods of Being In The Black For Once will feel a sense of beneficient mercy, and thus let loose the shopping hordes, which will descend en masse and pull the economic fat of these business-owners out of the fire, by purchasing everything that isn't nailed down. It also seems to me that, not long aferwards, when the chits are all counted and the smoke has cleared, whatever degree or level of spending mayhem that finally occurred wasn't quiiiiite enough to make the nut.

In my never-took-a-micro-or-macro-economics-course opinion, the reason Christmas is making a concerted push at the boundaries of September is pretty clear. The twisted shell-game our economy has become over the last twenty-or-so years stands upon some very shaky underpinnings and a whole lot of uninformed faith (it was twenty years ago, almost to the day and as an important aside, that the United States went from being a creditor nation to a debtor nation, a dark day whose consequences nwe have yet to fully realize). The need for a REALLY BIG CHRISTMAS SHOPPING SEASON becomes more important every year, by my lights, which is pretty much why the Christmas shopping and marketing season seems to stretch farther and farther away from the 25th of December.

Which brings us to the insidious, quasi-cancerous aspect of the economic bomb I see in all this, an aspect represented, for the purposes of this rant by me and by people like me, whose feelings (mine) on the matter I am sure are not a solitary phenomenon. The rub: the more Christmas shopping/marketing/spending/greed/etc. is blasted at me, the longer I am forced to endure the bombardment, the less likely I and many others are to take part in it. In other words, take your store and shove it.

I spent very little on presents this year, just as I did last year. This isn't because I didn't want to give gifts to the people I love (I did), or because I was too strapped to spend the necessary cash (on the edge, but I managed it), but because the whole massive, overbearing, blinking, unavoidable thing has been transmogrified into something that cuts deeply against what I can only describe as my own personal grain.

I bought books - good paperback fiction and some serious paperback history/politics/biographies - for my friends and family this year, once again, and spent maybe the same amount I'd drop on a really heavy bar night when I am drunk enough to pick up the entire tab for me and my friends all by myself.

I feel good buying books for people - they are my personal favorite Christmas present - but I don't see how that relatively paltry outlay really boosts the economy, and I know for a stone fact that a lot of people are doing what I did. "Books," as it turned out, was the most common answer to my recently oft-asked question, "What'd you get people this year?" It's a good conversation-starter, that one, because most people I know, no matter their faith or lack thereof, wind up having to dive in and buy stuff for people.

A lot of people, I think, are walking away from the whole process, because they are grossed-out by the going-on-ten-weeks-long shouting match between the commercials they see and hear on radio and TV, and the internal dialogue within their own minds and moral base. It's completely inaudible, that shouting match, but from my seat, I'm mortally positive the commercials, the stores, and the whole shopping-season-thing itself are losing the argument.

Given the in-my-opinion fact that the ever-increasing importance and lengthening time-span of the Christmas shopping season makes people less and less likely to actually shop, at some point the gears of this process are going to start grinding against each other in a loud and economically-dangerous fashion. This is arguably not comprehensive as an economic theory - in a lot of ways, important economic foundations like home and property sales, new construction stats, along with fuel prices and the ever-present spending on war - pretty much couldn't give less of a damn about Santa Claus' time of year - but in some truly vital ways, the shopping and all these things I just mentioned are all together in the same creaky applecart.

Think about it: if you can't sell the house you invested bales of cash in and were planning to roll over this year to have a little financial breathing room; your construction company isn't getting enough new building work to cover the payroll or you are a contractor who can't get work because no one wants to spend money; rising gas prices (read: manipulative, crass, and morally reprehensible economic profiteering, to the tune of untold billions of dollars annually, perpetrated by those Masters of the Universe whose personal power and wealth are created and augmented by visiting a petroleum-based version of hydraulic despotism upon a population which is life-and-death dependent upon the product they absolutely control) are chopping a hole in your budget...

...and/or (and here's an understated biggie) the constant media-driven hammer-strike of fear from politicians (who know in their cynical scabrous hearts that their electoral fortunes rise at an unfortunately equal rate with that distinct unease you feel settle into your stomach, like a bite of bad hamburger, when you think about...say...going to places like malls or shopping centers, places where lots of people tend to congregate in close proximity, you feel an unease that festers in your belly and in your mind, because going to places like that makes you - from what you've heard and been told so many times - a ripe target for terrorism, and you can't forget that we are, after all, at war with fascists or something)...

...well...ball all that together and you have a bad mess in the offing. The home you can't sell becomes the absence of proceeds you were financially depending on after investing so much into the place for years, the lack of paying work you need as much as the air you breathe, the lack of Christmas-present wiggle-room in the budget after you fill the tank in your car and in your basement for many long months, pretty much means you're not likely to have a lot of free money to feed into the economy by way of Christmas shopping, no matter how much you genuinely wish to be generous or no matter how badly the economy is starved for the infusion. Even if you do, well damn, all those people milling around at the Riverside Mall just make you jumpy because of that Fox News report you saw last week.

The other essential part of the problem is somewhat contradictory, to a degree. Just because I, and a whole lot of people I know, are becoming less and less inclined to take part in the shop-a-thon, doesn't mean the stores are empty. Maybe people are spending less when they go shop for Christmas, a possibility bolstered by the annual boy-this-last-shopping-season-wasn't-as-strong-as-we'd-been-hoping-for news reports, but people are definitely going shopping. Boy howdy, are they, in maddened, rude, spastic, pissed-off-to-the-quivering-edge-of-violence droves.

What I truly hate about this mercifully-passing time of year is the horrible way people start to behave about two weeks to a month before The Day. It never fails to amaze me. People become absolute werewolves. People become pushy, completely dismissive of the concept of personal space, and rude to the point that managers of cockfights and to-the-death dogfights for profit would find them obnoxious and intolerable.

The very idea of coming within shouting distance of any place where people might be doing Christmas shopping in December fills me with claustrophobic dread, and I am not someone who has trouble with crowds. I live in a city, and crowds are part of the deal. But there is this brittle, nearly hysterical vibe that shivers through the air, a sense of deeply repressed anger and frustration on every face and in every bit of visible body-language, and you know that this simmering rage is just begging for something or someone to vent on.

It is a thing that feeds on itself, a frictionless machine, a legitimate psychological phenomenon. When you crash into enough unfocused anger, it eventually frustrates you...and you go out into the world and pass that frustration along like a self-replicating germ. No one is immune; I'd wager that even Gandhi's patience would be tested after enough time in this strange American crucible.

Put these two things together: a marketing bomb that lasts longer every year, which in my opinion turns people more and more off from the whole idea, combined with the truly creepy stressed-out vibe from everyone around you that sounds, to your emotional ear, like the grinding of teeth. Economically, this isn't healthy. It makes me imagine some company trying to get people, by way of tradition and a really zippy commercial, to spend a month at their expensive amusement park...said park being staffed by people who yell at you and beat you with sticks all day. Sooner or later, the crowds will get wise and stay away, and tradition be damned.

I would be remiss at this point if I didn't bring up something that, sadly, far too few people seem to appreciate, or even deign to notice, when the Christmas shopping season truly hits its stride. This is the cherry on the top of my hate-sundae.

If you're in the mood to meet someone that has been emptionally battered, psychologically abused, screamed at, bulldozed, if you're in the mood to meet someone who is holding an explosive, murderous rage in check by the force of sheer will alone, go out about a week before Christmas and have a cup of coffee with...yes, you guessed it...anyone who works retail in a store that caters to the shoppers of the season.

Cast your mind back. How many times over the years...hell, you may have done it yesterday...have you been blasting though the final stages of getting your Christmas shopping done, totally exhausted, sick of the sight of humans and crowds, still pissed off because it took you 45 minutes to find a parking spot, your bags are heavy and your feet hurt, and if another person jostles you, you're going to seriously consider stabbing them in the head with that fancy pen you just bought for your friend...

..and somewhere in the process of being cashed out by a twenty-something sales associate in the last store you have to hit, there is a snag. The coupon you have isn't valid, the register breaks down, pick your poison, because it amounts to you deciding the whole process is taking too long...and you just unload on that retail person before you. A snarl, a snark, a snide remark or a total screaming China-Syndrome meltdown, it all amounts to the same thing: you, visiting your frustration on this person before you in the vest with the nametag, in a moment of lost control.

Bet everything you can think of - your house, car, bank account, shoes, kids, life insurance, even the pennies in the jar on your dresser - that you are easily the six thousanth person to unload on that retail worker since December rambled in the door, because that is a bet you will win in a walk. Almost certainly, after the store has closed and you are miles away, that retail worker will gather with fellow co-workers to compare and rate the flip-outs they were forced to endure from customers during the ten-hour ultra-busy shift they just finished, all the while standing on very tired feet. They'll laugh about it, but they hurt because of it. After enough of that, they hurt a lot.

You may not ever have done something like this to a retail worker, but an astonishing number of people do it every day, especially when they are Christmas shopping. I have several very good friends who work retail in a wide variety of stores, and they all dread this time of year the way heretics once dreaded the Catherine Wheel.

The longer hours are not the problem, because they enjoy the extra pay. They just know, in their hearts and souls and from too much experience, that a lot of people turn into wretched, abusive louts in December. They know they are easy targets, trapped behind a cash register in an industry where you can often be fired for no reason at all, and they know that, before the New Year, they will be subjected to levels of simple meanness that would make most people break down and cry.

Put it this way. My friend Hannah has been a retail-store manager for years, in a place that gets clobbered by a flood of shoppers every December. Right after Thanksgiving, she puts a magnet on her refrigerator that reads, "Show me someone with an abiding disgust for humanity, and I'll show you someone who works retail." They see the worst side of an awful lot of people, and before the season is over, it shows in their faces.

The number of people I care about who work retail feeds directly into my hatred of this time of year, because I hear all the terrible stories, all month long. The Mahatma once said a society can be judged by the way it treats its animals. Well, a society can also be judged by the way it treats workers on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. As far as the retail folks are concerned, this society falls far short of a favorable judgment as soon as the Christmas music starts playing. Bear that in mind the next time you go shopping, as a favor to my friends.

The kink in my theory/rant/tome is the fact that I basically live in the downtown part of a fairly large city, a city that tends to have something of an attitude problem on the most sedate of days. The city of Boston is a place, all too often, where being brusque and curt, while in a permanent and agitated rush to get into your car, so you can try to commit high-speed vehicular manslaughter against the stupid slow-assed-obviously-lost driver with the out-of-state plates who is totally clogging your lane, is standard fare.

My home also sits a few scant blocks from an astonishingly vast and irrepressibly popular shopping mall. Actually, "mall" isn't really the right word. This place really puts a dent in my view of Christmas.

Wrap your mind around this: the place, in its totality, both within the actual shopping area and attached to it by glass-enclosed walkways, contains more than two hundred stores, well over a dozen restaurants, something like four major hotels - each of which cater to a gigantic convention hall that is also part of the whole (which means that, each week, a new mega-convention brings thousands of people through the doors) - and to top it off, there are also no less than three large office buildings sprouting off the whole rotten monsrosity.

Oh, and there is also a huge gym in there somewhere, a thing bearing the truly upsetting name "Fitcorp," where you can run, and jump, and swim, and grunt, and sweat, and get rashes from other people's sweat if they are not considerate enough to towel off the weight bench they just herniated themselves on (from the sound of it), and maybe, if fortune smiles on you, meet an attractive member of the opposite or same sex and perhaps entice him/her into one of the hundreds of hotel rooms nearby for a workout of a more enjoyable kind.

Probably 50,000 people or more go into and out of this "mall" every weekday...not to buy stuff, but to work at a store or hotel or restaurant or advertising firm that is contained within or connected to the whole. Add the shoppers and conventioneers, spice it with the Christmas spirit, and you have a fair example of what Hell might actually be like.

Seriously. The place is like the Death Star, and almost as big. People I know who work in the office buildings attached to this vast monstrosity of steel and glass call the whole complex "The Biodome." The name is chillingly appropriate. One could, if motivated or inclined, live an entire lifetime - eat wretched-to-excellent food, sleep in a luxurious bed, pee and poop in the muzak-filled spelndor of bathrooms that are cleaned several times a day, read the latest books and magazines available on the shelves of the massive Barnes and Noble, drink decent coffee in the morning, enjoy the latest fashion trends when they arrive at the boutiques, take long walks, get drunk at one of the hotel bars, do some entertaining people-watching, exercise on modern machines, fall in love, or at least lust, with someone in tight, revealing clothing, have sex, and at some eventual point, die...

...you could do all the things most people you know do all the time as a basic part of their lives, you could do these things every single day for the rest of your life, without ever once stepping outside the complex. "Biodome" indeed. This thing squats a few blocks from the chair in which I sit right now, a monument to both runaway consumerism and insidiously inhuman architectural theory, and an unbelievable amount of people flood into and out of and around the place every moment of every day.

What I see and deal with - and I didn't even get into the madness of driving around here in December, and you're welcome - probably isn't remotely similar to the December experience enjoyed (or endured) by a majority of people across the country. The fact of my geographic location may have caused my own perceptions to be somewhat, shall we say, skewed.

But this doesn't make me wrong.

I do not know a single person who feels anything but contempt, disgust and even a bit of true fear whenever they have to participate in the Christmas shopping orgy. A lot of people enjoy Christmas as a concept, as a time for family and friends and food and generosity. But everyone I know looks upon December with loathing and dread. And the phenomenon has grown progressively worse each passing year, reaching like kudzu vines farther and farther into the calendar.

If this thing is as important to the economy as we hear, we are all in bad trouble, because sooner or later it will eat itself. It is not sustainable. If Boston is the only place where this whole thing has become an unendurable horrorshow, then it isn't a problem. I think, though, that it isn't just here, and I think it is getting worse. The rampant consumerism, the bad feelings that always spill over, and everything else I've been nattering about say very few things about where we're at as a culture, I think.

Oh, and P.S., what part of this whole phenomenon has anything to do with celebrating the birth of a guy who got nailed to a tree for telling people to be nice to each other for a change?

Just asking.

Merry Christmas.

why does it take a yearly ritual for people to be compassionate, to give, to get together with family? Please people, think about doing these things ANY TIME during the year and PLEASE stop placing soooo much emphasis on GIFTS. Give to the needy (again, ANY time during the year) and stop buying and giving CRAP to people who don't need it. Stop being manipulated by materialistic SHIT like "Black Friday". :puke:

I don't know Will, you lost me somewhere around bitching about buying your friends books one day a year, but being thrilled to go on a meaningless drunk with them whenever you could afford it.

The Christmas spirit was alive and well on DU this year, at least some parts. I'm going to hang on to that.

I really do....but I think more and more people see it every year...it IS getting worse, much, much worse

I don't get people who revel in finding the misery in every situation. It's nauseating and no matter how much they puff their chest about their smug social superiority, they're really no better than a 10 year old who wants to go swimming, but won't help clean the pool.

If you don't like the holiday, don't participate.

eom

RL

You don't want to be responded to, then PM him instead.

But of course, you WANTED the world to see how superior you can be, didn't you?

:puke:

RL

Well I'll be damned. I guess that means I can participate any way I want to.

and Will.

Duh.

:eyes:

RL

n/t

RL

remember that!! LOL

Apparently, that's the main rub here.

"Will Write Good, I must bash him now..."

:rofl:

RL

it is sheer wonder and amazement and concern at what is happening to this country

"A Visit From St. Nicholas" was written in 1822. I think Christmas decorating was outlawed in Boston by one of the first religious groups. This bitching about every damn thing isn't new, it isn't chic, it isn't enlightened - it's just same old bah humbug scrooge bullshit. Along with a whole lot of other wallowing in misery that people do.

There's problems in this country all right - but Christmas sure as hell isn't one of them.

it IS getting worse and Cristmastime is SYMBOLIC of many problems in America. Still, I like some things about Christmas time - the herd gets amazingly thinned these last two weeks (I work all the way through it) and I get far less than my usual 80 emails a day at work because EVERY asshole is on vacation. And I do NOT wallow in misery - if anyone sounds miserable, it is you. Did that Chrismastime magic wear off already?

I love all these posts about the horrors of Christmas, only to find out the people bitching actually do celebrate, regardless of how big or little they choose to do it. That's what creates the crowds and the increased items in the stores, people like you who are participating in whatever way that makes them happy. Why beat other people up for doing it differently than you.

I'd hardly call the fact that I enjoy a decreased work force "participating". I do send Christmas cards, but then I send cards all year long, including over 400 postcards to the troops since the war started. I don't need a holiday to remind me to be thoughtful. And I am tired of this shit so I am over and out; have a good day.

I love it when DUers have to drag out the troops to try to win an argument - just so, oh I don't know...

And hey, don't break your arm patting yourself on the back for being so superior that you don't need a holiday to remind you to be thoughtful. :eyes: The EXACT smug condescension I was talking about. NOBODY else does either, they CHOOSE to do whatever they do, just like you.

to go to Vegas too. Very few tourists :D Hey, if the buffet is on, let's partake.

Rather difficult to ignore. I attempt to keep my young children reigned in every year the Christmas frenzy begins...in late October. By the time the Holiday actually rolls around i am burnt, the kids are over stimulated and none of us seem to be able to muster the anxious joy i remember being associated with the day.

It is a shame.

Maybe nothing has changed. Maybe your mother was just as burnt by the time Christmas was over as you are, and just never said anything about it. Just like her mother, and her grandmother and on and on...

Two months preparing for a day is ONE thing. Two months+ celebrating one is a completely different thing.

Add to this the gluttony associated with the holiday in this country and it becomes two months celebrating a day of gift giving. Sad and sick IMMHO.

I don't get the problem. What two months of celebrating? People invite you into their home and it's a chore to go?? I don't get it.

You don't find it a bit much to have holiday music, decorations...two months in advance of a single day?

I am not talking about goodwill (and i don't think anyone else is either). Personally i find it sad that we have tied goodwill to a certain time of year. I think it should be practiced all year.

I am talking about celebrating the consumerism of Christmas for two+ months. By the time Christmas rolls around i don't get a tingly feeling about ol' Bing singing White Christmas as i have heard it EVERY time i left my home for months. Red bows and brightly lit trees are losing their magic as we become desensitized to the images and the associations to them. What is left when the magic has lost it's gloss? Things and nothing more.

I figure that stuff is out there for nutty people like my mother who liked to have her shopping done and her cards addressed BEFORE Thanksgiving. Whatever. We just make the holiday what we want in our family. How long the lights are up on the streets have absolutely no impact on me. I just don't get the bitch. Who friggin' cares. Go to a different aisle in the store.

Ignore it? Um, ok.

I don't see what that's got to do with it. If you don't have money or choose not to celebrate, it doesn't really matter how long there's red stuff in the aisles. It isn't as if toys only appear during the holidays. I really don't understand your specific point.

i will continue to tell my children maybe we should wait to sing the Christmas songs along with the radio until after we have at least trick or treated and you continue to celebrate in your fashion.

I will not begrudge anyone the fact that for PROFIT our holidays will continue to be viewed as a final reprieve from the hoopla instead of the intended day of anticipated celebration. You are correct. It is my choice to leave my home between the months of October and January and thus expose myself to it. I could always stay home.

:eyes:

One added note...i am one who finds excess repulsive no matter what time of year it is occurring.

HOLY day?! Christmas is NOT a holiday - as practiced by most US citizens. It's a poor excuse in the exercise of GLUTTONY. Too much spending of money we don't have; too much eating of food we don't need because we're already OBESE. Buying things that they don't like for people who don't NEED them (remember returns and exchanges....) IT is just COMSUMPTION! Look up how that word turns as a disease - instead of an 'economy'. It's all just a mongolian CF of consumption by 'consumers'. Just what all the vendors of crap want - no one thinking about how much and what to buy - ONLY to THINK of BUYING!

How about PRODUCING something? Make something. Spend some TIME. Christmas got co-opted by the salesmen and vendors years ago. Just compare T-day and Xmas day!

This 'rant' is 'spot on'!

!

is alive and well here at DU. I believe it is alive and well with Mr. Pitt also. He, and I, simply don't consider wild eyed buying frenzies pushed by greed possessed merchandizers to be beneficial to the spirit of a holiday dedicated to celebrating the birth of the "Prince of Peace".

Many others are not offended by the consumerist aspects os the holiday and partake in it with abandon. IF you count yourself among those then I say mazel tov!

We all find our happiness in different places.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

He bought gifts. That's participating in the 'buying frenzy'.

For the record, our family does a gift exchange, 1 gift at $25-$30. That's it. I saw people here empathizing with other DUer's because that's 'all' they could do. That's normal for us. Big deal. To each his own. But I'm sure not going to pretend I'm somehow superior because we celebrate differently than some other family. I suspect most people do the same and the 'buying frenzy' only exists in some peoples' cynical and hypocritical minds.

extent you feel comfortable.

I disagree that the buying frenzy ONLY exists in "some peoples' cynical and hypocritical minds." I see evidence each year in person and in the media. Unless of course Rumsfeld's assertions about the media's distorting and we are only seeing the same frenzied shoppers shown over and over again.

In looking at your posts responding to Mr. Pitts OP am I detecting a certain degree of animosity towards the him rather than his message? I hope I am mistaken.

Notice the word 'all' - meaning ALL the people who participate in the season and then pompously condemn others for doing the exact same thing. Or who blow hundreds of dollars on equally inane 'celebrations' - and then insist everybody become a tight-wad when it suits their socio-political agenda, which is to engage in the annual BORING ritual of ridiculing Christmas.

participates in the rituals to some extent. That does not take away from my strong feeling that these rituals are being taken to excess. I choose to participate to a lesser extent than most I would suspect.

So what, in your estimation, should I or any other person who feels that the rituals of the season are becoming excessive do with those feelings? Should we keep them to ourselves? Should we only expres those feelings within our small circle of friends and relatives? Should we express them in open forums where a wide range of persons can hear our opinion and debate its merits?

I really wish I could shake the feeling that this is more to you than a debate about the issue. When you use a phrase like, "when it suits their socio-political agenda, which is to engage in the annual BORING ritual of ridiculing Christmas", I am not encouraged. I see NO ridicule of Christmas in Mr. Pitts OP. I do see him ridiculing the excesses of the season and I don't see how his particular forms of celebration take away from his argument. Please set me straight, otherwise I may conclude there is a personal enmity at work here.

to bad turkey. Food poisoning maybe. Needs to see a doctor. Sooner better.
Or maybe it's just a big jug of Jack. :shrug:

It's gone so far over the edge that it's become a parody of itself and is imploding.

he actually plop his arse down at a bar and crap it all out on his laptop?

here's a link to the subject from Christmas day: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6200241.stm

That's what it is anymore. It's not a celebration of the birth of christ or anything else. If it were really about christ, there'd be much more charity work and much less shopping.

but still think it should be referred to as Christmas.

I think Happy Holidays is more inclusive.

I don't understand this Christmas phenomenon either.

The marketeers try to make you think that if you don't buy stuff for people, then you are a scrooge. Bah Humbug.

Why can't the spirit of Thanksgiving live on into Christmas and throughout the year.

Family and friends are what's important...you may not have them around next year.

Helping the needy is important too, but there are some generous people who 'help' so much, that it ends up the needy get the most expensive outlandish gifts when all they really want is food.

But Books! We love books! In fact, we did buy books for people, and received books in return. And books can be treasured forever, and passed around for others to read. Books are the best!

I agree with most of what you are saying. It doesn't amount to the same where I live. There's only around 8-10000 people around here and the mood of the shoppers is pretty good.
I will say this. I worked in a large grocery store here in the General Merchandise Dept. August/early September would roll around and the Halloween stuff would come in, and was to be put out right away, a week or so later the Xmas stuff would start showing up. All Boxed up on pallets with various countries of origin. China, Thailand, Viet-nam. They were to be slowly put out starting at that time as well. Little trinkets, nothing major, but wrapping paper, small lights and stuff. Customers would always say to me.. paraphrasing.. heheh "Xmas?? Holy shit, they are getting worse every fuckin year." I'd say, "Look man, They can't take a chance on Walmart selling a candycane before they do you know." Stuff like that, always jokin around and agree with them.
They fill their warehouses with this junk, and believe me, it's junk, and they have to send them out to the stores for the next wave of junk, so it gets put out on the floor. I find by the time Christams rolls around now, people just want to be done with it. It's all because of the stores trying to make their sales, so if one has a xmas sock on display, the next will have a whole aisle of them. Ruined it. Christmas when I was a kid, say, 25 years ago was a huge buildup and a happy time. As an adult it's thrown in my face to the point that I don't like it. I like that one day, the morning, watching the kids open thir gifts, going to eat and have drinks with family.

On edit, I will say that it seemed like all the adults loved it too. They didn't seem all pissed about it.

People were complaining about the exact same stuff you are now. You didn't notice because you were on the receiving end, duh. Just like the kids of all those shoppers today.

I suppose I'd kinda be a little biased on that point then.

why? because it's my big crunch time for "gifting", mot of the family/friend birthdays/anniversaries/christmas hit between end of august and lasts through January

September 11 kicks it off with my parent's anniversary
October is my partner's birthday and our anniversary
November is my brother's birthday, and two of our friend's birthdays
December is my dad's birthday and christmas
January is my niece and my mom's birthday

so I start my gift buying end of august/beginning of september and am mostly done by thanksgiving

next big chunk time is may-june - with mother's day, father's day, other niece's birthday and my sister's birthday...

I hate shopping in stores in general, other than the fact I can never find what I'm looking for, and this means wandering the "mall" :scared: or driving all over town from store to store - there's the crowds...

99.9% of my shopping is done on-line. Saves me time and aggravation, yeah I know I have to pay shipping/handling but if I had to wander around town it costs me gas - I figure it evens out cost wise.

Why do people think that every birthday, anniversary, holiday need a gift for every relative and friend is necessary?

My family grew up in Indiana. All our grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins grew up in Iowa. There never was any gift sharing among us across state lines. I can remember being a young child and the highlight of Christmas was calling grandma in Iowa! Each of us eight kids got to talk to her. Fifty years later, a phone call is still important to treasure.

I'm in Ohio now, all my brothers and sisters and their children remain in Indiana. It is not expected of any of us to buy for the entire clan.

Gifts are not what is important. What is important is the time, the phone call, to talk to each other.

it's our tradition. if your tradition/custom is different - great for you

It had been a burden long before that. I phased out of it. Haven't missed it.
My horror stories can't compete with yours.

This year, I avoided stores as much as possible specifically due to the 'music'. People are generally nice here because everyone enjoys living here. Our shopping options are much different than you describe. I avoid all malls. There are large areas that serve as gathering places for mid sized stores, with separate entrances. You don't have to walk into the bowels of a mamoth, wondering if you will find your way out. Or WalMart. For example. The B&N I go to is in one such center. A friend and I went there Christmas Eve because he wanted to buy me a book for Christmas. They didn't have either of the two I am interested in, but he found one. We had some lunch. Did a bit of food shopping. I like to shop the smaller health food store. In and out quick, everyone is well trained and helpful. End of story. It was pleasant.

On the other hand, my closest friend, who is way big into Christmas, stressed for weeks. They have all these people to buy for and family obligations out the kazoo. Cooking, cleaning, decorating, so people can get their feelings hurt, wear themselves out, change everyone's plans numerous times, get together to be polite, or assuage guilt. Then pack everything away. I heard the drama drum for weeks! Meanwhile, I'm going uh hmm. It's nice to do something special to commemorate the coming of the Sun, but why get beat up over it?

You had me in hysterics more than once. Maybe you could look for another apartment? And pass the word around Boston. Being polite actually feels good!

Happy New Year!

You did not give it up.

It's nice to do something special to commemorate the coming of the Sun, but why get beat up over it?

IOW, he and I both understood it to be a Yule present. I said "Christmas" just to keep in context and not hijack the thread.

What the freakin' hell difference does it make what you call it. Doing something special to commemorate - loving one another - is what the whole season is about. You participated. Quit beating everybody else up for doing the same damn thing. Some people LIKE to cook and decorate and jibber-jabber about when everybody can get together where. Nobody is requiring you to do anything more than what you want to do, except NOT BITCH.

The little Xmas spirit didn't last huh?

Guess you better run over to wal-mart and buy some more.

:puke:

RL

Yeah, they piss me off. Did you accept a Christmas gift - while pretending to hate the season and condemning everybody else who participates?

I beat anyone up. I listened to quite a bit of whining. My choice. I was not the one doing the whining. If getting all worked up over traditions and whining about it is part of their belief system, so be it. I did some charity work because it was available and I was in a position to do it. That doesn't make me a believer.

Bitching is in the eye of the beholder. I've had a good attitude on this thread. When I dropped out, I didn't go hide in a cave, though that's a close approximation of what I do during this time of year. Bitching was not included.

I was sharing my personal experience. I'm sorry that is so troubling to you.

You accepted gifts, spent time with friends, helped others - that's the season, whatever you choose to call it.

The point is the poster found a way to deal with it.

I didn't completely drop out myself, but I found participating at a limited level the way for me. I still enjoy the season but I don't feel any of the things Will describes because I'm not in proximity to the madness, as he is.

OK, well, maybe one thing. The traffic jams are really a problem in this overpopulated state. I compensated by making sure I had good magazines and books with pictures to feast my eyes on while I sat in jams.



Cher

All these people who actually ARE participating in the season, contributing to the 'frenzy' in money and actual presence in the stores - pretending they aren't and condemning others who are. It's a bunch of bullshit. People should do whatever makes them happy and if they don't want to do anything, fine by me. But the ones who pompously proclaim they're above all the commercialism, but turn around and give and accept gifts - well they're just full of shit and that's all there is to it.

are those given and received throughout the year. I never liked a deadline for gift giving. It was fun when I had a kid who wanted SCORE DAY! But that's it. I enjoy giving, and receiving any time. It doesn't have to start with an X.

your head. but my reference to 'hijacking' the thread? Get a mirror, goldilocks.

I don't see the connection with driving up credit card debt for material goods with the teachings of peace and love. Jesus was never about the material goods, but businesses will try to bury that fact every year.

in towns of about 10,000, who basically have the big WalMart and a few small chain stores interspersed with thrift stores and flea markets. What we're see happening here is a downturn in all kinds of business in December. As one merchant said, it's as if everyone has shut down and hibernated. And they're not rushing off to the "big cities" of 100,000 or more, like Fayetteville or Springfield MO. They are simply staying home. Folks just don't have much money to spend.

Personally, I've made my Christmas gifts for eons, and plan to continue. I try to avoid any store that isn't a grocery store after Thanksgiving. The few times I had to go into one of the smaller chains, I got a tightness in the chest, picking up on the anxiety of the shoppers in line with me.

Too many people laid off, hours cut; too many people with friends/loved ones in the Guard and overseas in the nightmare of Iraq. I didn't ever get a sense of celebration this year, just one of a sigh and let's get it over with so I can go back and hide until this horror blows over.

Today is the second largest shopping day of the year - the returns and the after-Christmas sales. It's not safe to go to the stores until Jan. 15.

:hi:

...then again, I got off the merry-go-round of gift giving a few years ago, and now simply enjoy the holiday lights illuminating the darkest part of the year...the neighborhood not far from here that enthusiastically puts up flickering luminaria every single Christmas eve...Dean Martin being alive again for three minutes singing "Let It Snow" over the radio...

I never get drunk, I shake my head at the pathetic "time is ticking! Wrap up the holidays!" commercials, I do spend way too much on lobster meat and a standing rib roast for the 25th menu, but basically just enjoy the whole holiday on my own terms. But yeah, Christmas Tree Shops do suck.

hearing about it or reading about it. It's over - mercifully - and now let's get on to spring. (Note: You'd have to put a gun to my head to get me into one of those Christmas Tree Stores.)

No tax, free shipping, and no crowds.


That said, I've noted the same thing about the creeping 'start' date for the xmas season.

If you notice in the move 'Brazil', it was xmas all the time. I think this is a visionary statement made by Terry Gilliam (one of many).

The people who pick this time of year to be decent (while simultaneously becoming a ruthless shopper) are also the ones who are in denial about the state of our Republic, IMO.

I love the joys of online shopping for xmas. No problems or anything.

when my kids grew up and I ended my daycare. Now I watch everyone else go nuts and go into debt while I relax.

I send each of my kids a check (they need money more than they need another piece of useless junk), and I donate to a few worthy causes. I don't decorate, I don't bake, and I don't cook. People freak out that I am at home alone on Christmas Day, not understanding that is exactly what I want. But it does mean that they fix up plates of delicious food that I did not have to cook and bring them over, so I don't have to cook for days afterward.

The last time my kids were home for Christmas (by which time they too had abandoned the Christmas frenzy and come to think of the time as nothing more than an opportunity to spend time together and have a day off), we went out on Christmaas Eve to get a loaf of good bread to go with our easy to prepare salmon dinner. While we were at the grocery store, my son said, "Look around. Did you notice that we are the only people in the store who don't look pissed off?"

It was true. There it was, 6:00 on Christmas Eve, and everyone in the store was rushed, frantic--and obviously angry.

But we were laughing and joking--and totally relaxed, because there was no elaborate nonsense that we had to deal with, no rush, nothing.

So we went home and had a lovely dinner together.

I don't miss Christmas. If I get a tiny bit nostalgic for the season, I turn on the radio and listen to a couple of Christmas songs. But I haven't even had the urge to do that for a couple of years now.

When I see how people suffer through Christmas, I am amazed that they let habit and expectations put them through such crap each year.

No hassles anymore. I shopped during Christmas week, but it was to buy something foe MEEEEEEE.. I did find some great bargains (even a pair of slacks for $1.78..there was no tag, so the cashier said "How 'bout $1.78..you're not gonna need to exchange them, are ya"..)..

I send gift cards to my "away kids"..and an assortment of home baked stuff)

and gave the "here" kid his stuff early..and unwrapped.

We went out for a nice unhurried dinner on Christmas Eve, and spent yesterday lounging.

There will be plenty of bargains left during the next few weeks, and I will pick up some when and if I got out..

I am sitting here on the computer when I should be cleaning up the mess left over from my Christmas dinner, realizing Christmas is all over with and it was nothing like I dreamed it would be. I now say to myself there is always next Christmas and maybe that one will be the perfect holiday I dream of every year, yet somehow it never materializes. I guess I'll just keep trying.

and even at the least stressful of times, John Q. Public is a SOB. Clerks of all stripes are on the receiving end of a tremendous pile of free-floating resentment, all the time.

And, having given birth to my eldest on Christmas Eve, after 20 some-odd hours of labor to the tune of a relentless Christmas music loop, the standards have lost their appeal for me too. (really)

There is an edge of panic during the last two weeks before Christmas that some find energizing, others exhausting and I have increasingly become one of the latter. More of my shopping is done online than on-site now, which helps. And my kids are aging out of the Christmas Morning Imperative that demands a show of bounty at 5am.

(gross generalization alert)Mothers of small children "make" Christmas for the family. They see to the safekeeping of ornaments from one year to the next, they do most of the shopping and wrapping, cook the obligatory family "traditional treats" etc. By and large, other family members are Christmas consumers. These are the Christmases that are enshrined in our memories, and are recreated in some form for the next generation. Adult children float around the hearth until they are plunged back into the beast by children of their own.

I suspect that you have hit the nail on the head about the economic expectations of the season. Our economy rests on "consumer confidence", which is measured mainly by what we think we can spare for nonessentials... and store-bought gifts are in that category.

"Christmas" started in October here, too - and I frame it in quotes because the glut of lights and schlock and muzak have little to do with what is essentially a simple story.

I'm glad you discussed the plight of retail workers. For years I worked for a major airline and I dreaded the arrival of November-December. It's one thing to face a cranky shopper with sore feet and another to have a cancelled flight that will prevent or delay a holiday reunion with family. Oh, I was abused by these people - the foul language, the personal attacks, wishes that I encounter an early death and even one frightening physical assault. For this reason, I always go way out of my way to be kind, thoughtful, and courteous to anyone who works with the public, not just during the holidays but all year. It's pretty thankless work.

Well thought and well written. Takes practice and a knack. I appreciate the effort and admire the result.

...is the hard sell put on everyone. Not just those that can afford their "toys and trinkets" but also, those that cannot afford them. Many of these same small businesses that thrive on Christmas, have workers that have slaved for $5.15 an hour for them, year after year. How is someone supposed to buy an X-Box with that?

I see people that have so bought into the commercialism that they will max out their credit cards at this time of year and sacrifice for the rest of the year. It's a crowd mentality that is not healthy, in my humble opinion.

Other than that...I could have done without. As a retail employee I see the stupidity and ignorance that comes out in full force during the holiday shopping season. Why people spend so much time and money (that they don't have) on useless gifts that are just going to be returned today, I don't understand.

Example of the stupidity I've put up with this year: I work at a calendar kiosk. It's really very simple, yet I have people asking me what year the calendars are for (uh, I don't know, 2010?), and if I'm sure a particular item is a calendar (they're ALL calendars, sheesh).

One of these years I hope to just hibernate for the holiday season...

nm

It's gone so far over the edge that it's become a parody of itself and is imploding.

Only half the country bought anything or celebrated in any way - the crush of people and driving and shopping in BOSTON was caused by Republicans. Good lord. :crazy:

Republicans did it. :eyes:

I guess reading comprehension is not your strong suit.

What are you, the holy defender of Xmas? :rofl:

Sorry that you love Xmas so much Rudolph, but I got news for you, it's obnoxious overkill these days. No one better dare criticize how ridiculous Xmas has become in your presence!

Yeah, that IS what you said - because no Democrat could EVER put up tacky Christmas lights or spend too much on a loved one. It's just Republicans that caused it all. :eyes:

Just lame ass reasons to spout off at the mouth so you can fit in with the rest of the cynics - who by the way actually ARE the assholes in the stores in the first place. You know, all you people who HATE Christmas.

Hypocrites. That's what I'm talking about. If you're not bitching about Christmas, you're bitching about something else because there really ARE people who aren't happy unless they're whining about something.

Forgo the annual party completely, lock stock & barrel. . and you are allowed to complain about some aspect of it.

Participate in ANY aspect of it, and all of the evils inherent must be ignored.

Either way, it doesn't make for much edifying (or pleasant) conversation.

It's boring. If you're going to have the food and drink and any amount of gift-giving, it takes a level of preparation that means buying stuff. That's part of the package. It's just the way it is. The Christmas Cynic isn't witty or even an insightful modern commentary. I mean seriously, "A Christmas Carol" was written in 1843. Scrooge is old news.

search on St. Nick. It was not the 1800s. More like 1800 BC. The gods. Just if you're interested.

Where did I say ONLY Republicans did overkill or are responsible? Wow, you really are full of hate for people who criticize Xmas overkill. Way to spread that Xmas cheer! :rofl:

You're just full of strawmen and full of shit. Learn how to comprehend what you read, Einstein. Put up or shut up, where did I blame Repubs? I said Xmas is suffering from overkill, just like the Repubs, that's why I said it's become Republicanized. NOT that Repubs are responsible. Get it, Einstein? :eyes:

It's what you said.

And ridiculing me doesn't change what is there, it only proves my point that way too many people on this board use cynicism and ridicule as a substitute for sensible analysis.

Hint, you don't have to stop importing bananas or coffee to do something about global trade. You don't even have to create a phony banana or Starbucks outrage. In fact, it's a poor substitute for actually DOING something - same as this cynical scrooge outrage over Christmas.

Post #57 says nothing about it being the Repubs fault or anything you've dishonestly tried to twist my words into. So put up or shut up, Chester.

"And ridiculing me doesn't change what is there,.."

Who said anything about change? It's just fun to ridicule a hypcoritical, sanctimonious douchebag.

I'll comment on whatever the fuck I want. If you want to revel in all the bullshit phoniness that's Xmas, go right ahead. Honestly, I could care less about it, I never celebrated it, and I'll comment all I want about how obnoxious and absurd all the hooplah about it is and about all the hypocritical douchebags like you who apparently think the "Xmas spirit" is going around calling people assholes, putting up lights on your house and shopping until you puke.

"Just lame ass reasons to spout off at the mouth so you can fit in with the rest of the cynics - who by the way actually ARE the assholes in the stores in the first place."

Woohoo! Feel the love! That's the spirit of the baby jesus right there! :rofl:

I've always been an asshole, never celebrated Xmas, never cared and I think it's absurd, obnoxious and hypocritical. What's your excuse?

Never been an asshole? I guess we have different definitions.

I said I've ALWAYS been an asshole. Read it again, Einstein. What's your excuse?

as well. It's about the ridiculing and cynicism, just another convenient target, like I said. But that doesn't make you right, on anything.

Who said anything about being right? :rofl:

Seriously, you have very serious problems w/ reading comprehension. There's no "right" or "wrong" here, Einstein. You have an opinion about Xmas (or people who criticize the overkill) and I think you're a whiny hypocrite who thinks it's his job to be the "holy defender of Xmas", all the while being a surly, hypocritical douche.

Ok, maybe I am right, Rudolph. :rofl:

1,000 unemployed comedians...

Why should anyone take you seriously? What are you, the Xmas Criticism Police? :rofl:

Ok Rudolph! No more Xmas criticism!

Someone from one country smashes some buildings and kills 3000 people in the US - go bomb a comepletely different country and kill 100s of thousands and make everyone else poor and fearful. Sounds balanced to me?

because there really ARE people who aren't happy unless they're whining about something.

Ta da .. Fix up that doo and dab a little lipstick on the pig.

because there really ARE people who aren't happy unless they're whining about something.

Ta da .. Fix up that doo and dab a little lipstick on the pig.

I really do envy people who "get" Christmas and it's present giving spree. I have not since I moved to Arizona.

The time shifting that occurs puzzles me though also. Halloween in September, Thanksgiving in October, Christmas in October. Everyone seems to bemoan that that this is the way things are now, and you had better get used to it. I can't, because if I go to Home Depot in October, it is just bizzarre to see as the Fundynuts call it, Satan's day along side the Saviour's Birthday. Thank God I am Methodist, so I can be allowed all sorts of theological fuzziness.

But I digress.

If you know that the item you will buy for someone will be 50% off in 24 hours, would you do that on a normal day? I suppose the act of giving to others on that particular morning along with others is a social bond, and it's strength is hard to ignore. But then the oddity of knowing EVERYTHING you bought up to 10 pm December 24th is 50% to 75% off?

We have been collectively trained like my dog has trained me to wake up when he wants to play. You can't get mad, you just get up and play with him.

This holiday time shifting driven by the stores, and being accepted is the danger area. No person can rationally argue that Christmas is about Christ in this society to an alien that just landed and wanted to know what it is all about; not unless you know the correct aisles in the Home Depot for each holiday, it being like a dewey decimal system of what holiday is on what aisle in August.

I am no better than anyone else, and the memories of past Christmases are romanticized in my memory. This year though has been particularly applling though in the time shifting of the after Labor day holiday sales season.

I even posted in the Lounge way back in early September that I went into a Lowe's Home Improvement store and saw a whole section dedicated to Christmas crap... and, then later that weekened was in a local shopping mall and saw a bunch of Christmas stuff in the JC Penney department store.

edited to add: I found the thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=5662580

Yup, there was a big display of VD cards and other related items by the front door.

It starts before Halloween in my area too. About a week before Halloween the grocery store condenses their Halloween wares to 1/2 an isle & starts putting out xmas crap. And crap is what most of it is.

Until this year, I refused to shop. Mom got cash, sis got a gift card. Done. This year, though, I got the other employees of our company to participate in an Adopt-A-Family program. We were assigned a needy family of four. They provided a list of gender & ages of family members, a few things each family member wanted. Jeans & coats for the entire family, a set of bath towels for the mother, a watch for the father & some fun stuff for the kids -- that last was not on the list, but hey, they are kids & should have some fun stuff, not just clothes.

Our Adopt-A-Family coordinator called after she delivered the gifts (wrapped) & said the mother was in tears. "My kids haven't had a nice Christmas in two years since my husband was injured on the job."

It was the most gratifying xmas shopping I have ever done.

Maybe some of these other people need to figure out what Christmas is about instead of just cynically condemning those who have.

And if your sis needed that kind of Christmas herself, I'd hope you'd feel just as good shopping for her and not have your joy taken away by someone telling you it was all a meaningless 'frenzy'.

They need to cut them & stop using them. It's Christmas 24x7x365 for them. They have re-financed their house twice in the past five years to pull out any equity to pay off cards, which they then start charging up again. Their problem is much deeper than Christmas.

Yesterday her husband told me, "I'm just not in the Christmas spirit this year. It's hard to get in the spirit when you know you will barely have paid off this year's celebration by next year's." Yet when I suggest we cancel the gift giving & just share a meal & a nice afternoon of visiting, you'd think I was asking them to give up their first born.

The Christmas frenzy you refer to is a symptom of a much more insidious disease, mindless consumerism & it's ruining the lives of millions of people. One day my sis will wake up & realize that she has transferred all the equity from her house into cheap plastic crap from China. I hope she wakes up soon.

Not yours. Who doesn't think they can run their family's lives better than the family member does? That isn't new either. People can always find something to be critical and cynical about, or just enjoy each other the way they are. I mean what do you think that family you helped would have done if they'd had the money? Bought gifts for their kids, just like you did. Or would that be 'mindless consumerism'?

:eyes:

And yeah, I could run my sister's finances better than she can. I'm very concerned for them, as is my mother. And if that's being judgmental, so be it. Their excessive spending is self destructive & they are putting their future at risk. You can defend Christmas all you want, but Will made some excellent points.

Which generally runs a lot deeper than the materialism on the surface. Pointing the finger at 'Christmas' is just another way of avoiding dealing with whatever problems create the dysfunction in any given family. Just a guess, but your sister is probably trying to avoid your judgmentalness by over-compensating materially. I didn't bring the word 'judgmental' into it, you did. So it must have been lurking there, between the two of you. Maybe you and your mom and your sis could talk about what's really bugging all of you, make for some nicer family times in the future.

I've enjoyed your posts in the past, but in this thread it's like you're a different person. Don't know why you are so defensive about Christmas, but hopefully I will enjoy your thoughts again on a different topic.

;)

I find that negativity as damaging an influnce in this country as others find the excessiveness and materialism. Christmas is just the target.

You've either taken this thread personally beyond any boundaries I can comprehend, or you have absoiutely nothing better to do with your time than spend hours posting in it...and I'm thinking, maybe, the term "Secret Santa" has a completely different meaning for you. It's one explanation, anyway.

Strange.

It isn't me who took this beyond any comprehendable boundaries. I merely suggested to you that considering you're willing to spend as much on a drunk as on Christmas, maybe you don't really have a problem with excess the way you think you do. Along with the idea that the whole Christmas Cynic is old and boring.

That's it. Oh, the horror. Someone even suggested that if I didn't hate Christmas, I just shouldn't have posted in the thread. As if it's *my* fault all these people responded to a 3 sentence post.

Strange indeed.

We all lay humble before .sandnsea. We are sorry .. we almost love you . we ask that whatever you suffer be shown so that this may be healed and resolved.

Watch this > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u05PNKQoZzg

Thank you.

No one said you can't be in a bad mood. But hijackng threads is something you might reconsider.

have responded to one three sentence thread? Of yours? That's rather. Hard. To believe. Who would want to exchange. Three sentences. With you. Dead end alley up ahead! Divert!

This looks like a peronsal issue. Too bad. Haven't heard from Will in a while.
I guess if if a banshee jumps out at every turn, might make some hesitancy.

There is honest debate and then there is hijacking. Or as US Congress calls it?

Strange indeed.

answer . hijacked.

Christmas is very pleasant in the sticks.

get out of the city. I think every day closer to nature would be awesome. What about all those trophy houses they built though?

and attempt to avoid it. Got caught this year while visiting my brother's family when I went shopping with my sister-in-law and niece at the King of Prussia mall in PA. It took us a 1/2 hour to get out of the parking lot!

I do a lot of my Christmas shopping on-line, and try to find things
that are 'right' for people throughout the year.

But to be perfectly honest, I have hated the season of Christmas
since 1988 when I had complications with a pregnancy prior to Christmas.
Then, in December, all seemed like it was going to be ok. A month later our daughter was stillborn at 22 weeks. Ever since then, Christmas to me is the fool's temptation of believing, hoping that things will be all right, only to have reality kick you in the face.

So, yes, I still participate. Decorate the tree and the house. Send cards and notes to family and friends. But deep down, in my heart, every Christmas, I am sad, because Christmas is no longer about birth and hope and joy, but about death waiting around the corner.

That is not a good memory. I hope someday the season can make it up to you.

Bottom line is for many of us, not to your degree, but 'expect' something that sometimes delivers and sometimes not. The more we hope, the more we are disappointed.

There are no words to take away the pain. But I'm glad you're here.

curtain on the excesses.

The Chinese/Indian/Vietnamese/Cambodian/Skri-lankan, Kenyan and other goods that flooded into the stores this year was kind of overwhelming in their quantity and low cost.

Chinese dumping since Bushies stole the Presidency has been on the rise and the stores are filled with it, cutting out the local American craftsperson who used to be able to makes some money by selling their own creations. Just can't compete with what's being dumped.

Bush's statement and the overwhelming quantities of "stuff" out there is cheapening the season with the cheap imports.

We probably have one more year of this craziness of "shop to keep the economy going and run up our trade imbalances" before the tide turns.

I hope that you have had better Christmases in the past, Pitt....before all this frenzy of the past few years started (like when Clinton came in bearing his NAFTA Gift to us) NAFTA, the Dot Com and Housing Bubbles all helped contribute to the frenzy you see out there.

Christmas has been ruined because of our need to keep the GDP Up. That's why Bush is terrified that we might stop shopping and the GDP will crash.
We make very little to export...our buying is what's keeping us going.

Go Rural...as one poster said. Tune it out.

Take what you like and leave the rest. And for those people who can't do the same... well, tough titty. The people that let Corporate America brainwash them into how to live... they're already in their own private hell.

started out good though.

But I was a retailer, in my own store, and I loved Christmas. Absolutely loved it - the whole month. But I refused to put up decorations until my Dad's birthday - December 12.

Some of the shopping stress and the crowds and stuff sound like big city phenomenon to me. Except for some traffic snarls I saw mostly good cheer and friendliness in my city while I was ringing the bell and playing trumpet for the Salvation Army. I found it kinda heart-warming.

Finally, I posted before a Christmas song you should appreciate
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=4271965#4272049

We don't get too torqued out about how everyone else acts or what everyone else does.

If people want to fight over Elmo dolls, that's pretty sad, but in the long run, it's up to each of us to make Christmas meaningful to our own families in our own way, and not let others ruin it.

and "Have a cheap day !!!"

(for non Bostonians-The quotation is the alleged mantra of the quirky owner of Building #19 which is a chain of really funny discount stores which are known for being really messy, disorganized, filled with all sorts of train wreck merchandise, but worth rumaging through sometimes. They have goofy cartoon drawings all over the store with captions like "Believe it or not, we just cleaned" and "Only the most intelligent people in the world shop at Building 19." I dragged an aristocraticatically raised though really rebellious friend to one to buy a Turkish rug and when I read the latter caption I elbowed her and said, "and you had thought it was breeding. . .")

Though I agree with you Will. It is getting increasingly intense and crazy out there. I'm reminded of the theory, and I think truism: that when a war is launched on something (ie poverty, drugs, terror, Christmas) it invariably only empowers the target and object of that very aggression.

I was put off shopping this year after hearing of both the lady who was trampled to death, and the guy that got shot during the Playstation 3 frenzy last month. Talk about comsumerism run amuck.

So I didn't shop at all until Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday I ran into sales people in really fantastic moods, probably because the end was near.

Yet oddly enough, this year I received the most useful though lavish gift EVER and am feeling really humbled, strangely awed, and probably have a touch of post traumatic gift disorder or somethin'. Am not complainin' really though.

The post script is my fave line.

Oh. . . and in honor of Boxing Day, don't forget to pay the servants. :)

lavish gift before. Hope it was getting the home fixed up? Good for Stella and son?

*meant to look for it in the other .. you do have to spill

I don't watch TV, avoid the mall as much as possible, and work at an independently-owned business.

The store I work in was busy, but it was great -- maybe it'll float us another year and help us survive in the shadow of the big boxes. And because we're an independent store, the customers were friendly and the music was quirky!

More and more one has to make a concerted effort to avoid mass consumer culture, because it IS sickening. But it can be done.

I saw Valentines candy right next to the Christmas candy in the stores last week. there is no rest for the ailing corporate system these days. There is no period of anticipation nor reflection allowed. In the words of our current pResident, "I want you all to go shopping more", and the stores rejoiced. But, they were the only ones that did. The shoppers went out but they did not spend. When WalMart only shows a one percent, nationally, increase over last years sales, you know we are in serious trouble as a country. when spending is flat at the low end stores, you know that spending was way down at the high end ones.

Strap on your quiver ... Valentines Day is here ... in December!

I didn't, and got gifts for everyone on my list. It was easy! I ordered through catalogs, and online. It was a little more expensive because I had to pay shipping, but well, well worth it. Consider that option next time. It literally saved my sanity this year. I know that this doesn't address all your concerns, some of which I share, but it to me it was a major step to enjoying Christmas again.:) Oh, and Happy New Year. THAT holiday is so much more low-key than Christmas now.

It's not quite disengaging but the shopper is now driving, not the marketers.

I haven't set foot in a mall in more than six years to buy something. Malls are not our "town square" but Propaganda Central.

{shudder)

Only problem is that they employee people - create jobs. I shop on-line but I am always berated for not putting my money back into the local economy.

This year my son got new brakes for his car for Christmas. My daughter got a used, refurbished laptop (from my husband's office). Extended family gave them clothes, books, a couple of dvds. I didn't need to go near the malls.

If author James Howard Kunstler is correct about oil becoming extremely scarce in the near future, then these suburban malls (and suburbia itself) are destined to change drastically. And if the economy is as shaky as some are saying, and a recession/depression is coming....

:)

Our financial situation this year precluded much buying.....two books and some smell good stuff for two ladies....that's it.

Having spent 30 years of my life designing Christmas ornaments I'm a bit burned out! It's all become so over blown....yes, I think that is it in a nutshell. I quit this designing business about four years ago. At one time it was fun to do because my customers told me I was adding tradition to their families.....memorable pieces they kept and carefully wrapped each year and pulled out the next year, year after year 'til they handed them off to children who had grown and had homes of their own. I liked that. As the years ticked by I found that I was designing earlier and earlier each year to keep up with the market....it got to a point that I was designing a year in advance! Finally, I had had enough.

Having recently moved to Texas I, for the first time, got no calls from past customers "just asking" if by chance I had made anything for this year. It's sad in a way but..... I've read all the responses above.With some I obviously would agree with others not. Just as some people are offened by cigarette smoke for health reasons, I am offened by being subject to all the hooplah I have to endure just to do daily errands during the ever lengthening holiday season. I wonder if we'll see Christmas free zones in stores in the future! It's only a pipe dream.

I also wonder if stores shortened the shopping season that they might just find the "frenzy" even better and we'd all get something we wanted out of the season.....like in the good old days.

other than being a time to have dinner with family there is nothing real about it. It is a fantasy. A myth. Even the day, December 25th, is a LIE. Nobody knows when Jesus was born, if in fact Jesus really existed. The Christians co-opted December 25th in the 4th century in a cynical (and largely successfull) attempt to convert large numbers of pagans to thier faith.

But I do enjoy the one day gettogether and dinner with family and friends. And I try not to drink too much (rarely succeed here), try not to get drawn into another religious discussion with my very devout christian mother (I'm 48 and she's still praying for my "soul"), try not to get pissed off at my Dad. I enjoy seeing my brother and sister and her family. I solved the commercialism madness years ago since I really cant stand shopping/gift wrapping/crowds/malls/parking/Xmas muzak... I simply call up my sister a couple weeks before Xmas and she tells me how much money she needs. I pay for everything, food, alcohol, gifts for my niece and nephew. It's well worth it, she does all the work and is freed from any stress of how to pay for it all, and I keep my sanity. She really loves the whole madness and we both know that (in our family at least) Xmas is really for her kids.

She doesn't do anything by halves and yes, everything was lovely, but I'd rather spend the time with her, not worrying that her blood pressure was going to kill her waiting in line at the sweater counter at Macy's.

When my mother dies, I want her to die in peace, not surrounded by mean anxious strangers, the crappy elevator version of "White Christmas" and fluorescent lights that feel like they're sucking your brain out after ten minutes.

"Can you forgive a pig-headed old fool, with no eyes to see with, and no ears to hear with all these years?"

A guy walked into an office I was in and said "I just got back from Target, they're killing people over there" and he was only half kidding.

A poster here said it's better "rural" and I agree with that too, except in most rural areas you have to put up with xtian freak bigots instead of the commercialism/fascism/predatory environment.

You're are absolutely correct in saying this holiday has nothing to do with the guy who got nailed to a tree, this time of year is about money, dysfunctional families and predatory greed.

was almost longer than the Christmas season.

:hi:

...because I enjoy your writing style, but I must say that it's possible to avoid a lot of the trauma that you're getting worked up about. You don't have to go to the malls and fight for parking spaces and bulldoze your way through the crowds in order to shop; online is easier, with a greater selection, often cheaper, and far more pleasant. Though it does take a bit of planning and forethought, because you can't do the December 24th last-second rush to the store (which I have done in the past). I'm not the best person to preach on forethought, but there does come a point when my aversion for crowds overcomes my innate talents of procrastination.

I do feel for your friends who work retail, as I would not want to be in their shoes at this time of year. I worked retail in ages past, but we didn't have nasty incidents like that, in part because we were a small specialty store, and in part, surely, because it was a different era.

But other than that, it's possible to do your own thing at Christmastime, and let the rest of the world do as it wants. You don't have to decorate before Halloween. You don't have to decorate at all, if you prefer. :) You don't have to play Christmas music (though I grant you it may be unavoidable if you have to go shopping for any reason).

I'm not a Christian, but I use the season as a convenient reminder to get back in touch with friends whom I haven't heard from in a while. Even if it's just an e-mail to say "I'm still alive, and I still value your friendship." Sure, I could pick a date and do that at any time of the year - but knowing me, I'd forget. Society's excesses provide me with the necessary nudge.

Having said that, I'm kinda glad it's over, too, because I'm eager to look toward the new year and the future.

I don't allow any device to blare out the music of the season or the cheap hyped up commercials flashing bright bursts from the tv .

Here in Hollywood they took on the grand idea of tearing out the old and erecting enormous structures beyond the definition of a mall . Nothing was done to widen the already traffic constricting streets so what we have got now is a gridlock that releases green light pulses of pissed off drivers .

This has been in an ongoing process in the entire area for 4 years now as the number of cars has increased and the anger intensified .

I have not entered one of these massive abominations layered with parking lots peppered in leaked oil spots and spat out slick globs of chewed gum along with wind caught plastic bags all perched home on forced growth plants through sidewalk cracks , this makes up the christmas decor of old hollywood .

that is commercial Christmas but we made our annual trek to spend a few days with one of my sibblings and her family. Inour family and clan Christmas is about the family getting together.

What I noticed in Miami was that there were fewer people shopping although they may have switched to online shopping. We did spend a half day at one store where we buy some work clothes and as usual I looked for the oldest salesperson who wanted to earn some commission. Hubby and I split up and he took off with my sister. My lovely assistant must have been well over 70 but the minute I asked for help and explained what I wanted to do she was busy as a bee finding me some nice work clothes and some other stuff that you simply have to replace once a year. She worked in one section but told me exactly where to go in the other section and I told her that I would bring everything over to her so that she too could get a little commission. Little did I know that her shift finished at 3.00pm but she stayed around and we both had a good laugh.

I met up with my gang at the scheduled time and off we headed to my favourite store - Barnes and Noble. We picked up some sensible games for the kids as well as books. Of course most of us had ordered DVDs and CDs ages ago so there was no real need to spend copious hours in malls full of strangers.
Still, after we baked and drank to our hearts' content, some of hte younger folks wanted to pick up their last minute stuff and we did accompany them thought not to shop. For example, I had a great time walking up and down the Walmart carpark looking for Bush bumper stickers. I did not see one and that car park was full. I saw several people picking up An Inconvenient Truth at Best Buy but I ordered mine since I stuck to buying blue. I was amazed at the discussions among the twenty something and teenager members of our clan during and after they watched that documentary. I was also fascinated at how my brother in law had completely switched from CNN to MSNBC and how they all talked about Keith Olbermann. Hubby and I were the only one who even knew his name a eyar ago. Additionally, the rage against Bush expressed by everyone including the on-political in laws was mind-blowing.

I think the commerical side of Christmas is bullshit but I have felt that way for years. That said, the traditional family reunions are absolutely wonderful days spend measuring political and social development and I had an absolute ball.

Of course there was the annual struggle between those who want to hear Christmas music and those who really can't stand it, but I usually defer to them since those discussing politics have such a good time that we don't even hear the stupid music.

So my brother William Pitt, while I agree with you re the commercial side of Christmas and the spread of a plethora of germs, I won't give up the traditional family get togethers for anything on earth. The grand smells from the kitchen; recalling old memories and super fights from childhood and watching my nieces and nephews become coffee drinkers and enjoy rum, beer and wine like their generations before is super fun. And what is even nicer is watching them become conscious liberals who care about not only their environment, but also about issues like the Iraq war, capital punishment as well as the light of the homeless. When the five and six year olds hear the discussions, they may not understand, but my own socialization began on occasions just like these, so that when my five year old grand niece told me she can't stand to see the sight of Bush, it was worth our entire holiday.

We argue about religion, politics, family and everything under the sun and there are many athiests and agnostics in the clan but for four or five days every year we get together and 'catch up' on what's important in our clan and I seriously love it.

100% agree

:thumbsup:

when stores MUST sell a lot at Xmas to make a profit, instead of spreading it year round. That means that they would go bankrupt if not for the all the advertising and two months of pushing the crappy sweatshop merchandise in the stores. And I'm no economist.

I used to work retail and it was HELL. I remember closing Xmas Eve at 6 p.m., but not being able to leave because some guy just had to buy his girlfriend a silver bracelet and his credit card wouldn't work, because he was living several states away, because we were part of a big chain of dept stores, with diff names in diff cities. So we didn't get out of there till 7 p.m. He finally came up with a credit card that worked. I was exhausted and had been for days. I was allegedly selling "fine jewelry" and I was ashamed of the stuff, it was total pure crap. I'm talking about cubic carbon that is certainly NOT fine diamonds. Closer to lumps of coal, a lot of it has black spots. Gullible people buy it at the mall, and it is basically worthless. When i took a GIA course in Diamond Grading, we called that stuff "fish gravel" as it would have done better sitting in an aquarium, or dying and being reborn as a grinding wheel. Blame it on the DeBeers cartel propaganda that's gone on for decades.

As I put myself together, with bag and coat, and stumbled out the door, there was a bench between the two sets of doors exiting the store. I sat there and cried from sheer numbed out frustration and exhaustion for about 30 minutes. I managed to drive myself home without having a wreck.

And all I did Xmas Day was sleep.


Thanks, Will. I enjoyed your rant.

And have a relaxing December.

One clerk who sold me a gift in a store told me she was a teacher. Why do we pay teachers so little they have to work in stores at the Holidays? To pay for the supplies for the kids in her class that the school system won't buy?

http://bigpicture.typepad.com/writing/2005/10/merry_thanksgiv.html

My family has never done elaborate Christmases. We give each other books, magazine subscriptions, practical clothing items, and a few tchotckes. I shop by mail a lot, and pick up stuff at local craft fairs throughout the year that make me think of particular people. This year it's less than usual for me because I couldn't make it all fit it what with couch-surfing through a seven day power outage. Malls and large stores are places I never go near in November and December, for just the reasons you mentioned.

:thumbsup:

what part of this whole phenomenon has anything to do with celebrating the birth of a guy who got nailed to a tree for telling people to be nice to each other for a change?



will, you're too smart for that

christmas is not about celebrating the birth of "that guy," that guy's followers instead latched onto the popular winter holiday linked to the solstice that has been around for thousands of years, there is no reason on god's green earth why christmas is or should be about "that guy"

christmas is a pagan holiday, it is about celebrating the natural world, the time when the darkest days of winter start to turn toward the light, it has been and should be a material holiday because it is about celebrating our life in the material world

christmas is not about pie in the sky when you die, i believe we call that one easter

:wow:

but yes, right on. :thumbsup:

Let them feed the Corporate Beast ("Soylent Green is PEOPLE!!!") in a closed loop system while independent-minded folk build the model for Life After The Corporate Rug Is Pulled Out From Under The American Economy.

:thumbsup:


"...I have what I consider a serious and legitimate concern about what this ever-lengthening Christmas phenomenon means to the basic underpinnings of our national economy...."

"...The twisted shell-game our economy has become over the last twenty-or-so years stands upon some very shaky underpinnings and a whole lot of uninformed faith (it was twenty years ago, almost to the day and as an important aside, that the United States went from being a creditor nation to a debtor nation, a dark day whose consequences we have yet to fully realize). The need for a REALLY BIG CHRISTMAS SHOPPING SEASON becomes more important every year, by my lights, which is pretty much why the Christmas shopping and marketing season seems to stretch farther and farther away from the 25th of December."

"Given the in-my-opinion fact that the ever-increasing importance and lengthening time-span of the Christmas shopping season makes people less and less likely to actually shop, at some point the gears of this process are going to start grinding against each other in a loud and economically-dangerous fashion."

"Maybe people are spending less when they go shop for Christmas, a possibility bolstered by the annual boy-this-last-shopping-season-wasn't-as-strong-as-we'd-been-hoping-for news reports, but people are definitely going shopping. Boy howdy, are they, in maddened, rude, spastic, pissed-off-to-the-quivering-edge-of-violence droves."

"If this thing is as important to the economy as we hear, we are all in bad trouble, because sooner or later it will eat itself. It is not sustainable."



The more that more people start getting this, the better. Thought-provoking OP-- too bad it was hijacked by someone who didn't get it. You've connected a lot of the dots, drawing back 20 years ago to "a dark day whose consequences we have yet to fully realize" --- and yet we do realize, you said it right there:

"It is not sustainable."

Actually, if I did celebrate Christmas, I would find it pretty offensive at how commercialized things are. I imagine some people have lost the meaning of the holiday. It's all rush-rush-rush and how much can I go in debt to show someone how much I care about them. That's what I got out of Will's commentary.

Will ever stop back in with a comment? Or was the thread effectively hijacked?

Anybody out there?

I find it the best thing ever invented. I hate the traffic, crowds and endless stupid xmas songs irritating your already irritated mood. The overheated stores, trying to find a parking space and trying to map out when you can go at the least possible hassle.
I dreaded xmas. every year I had to go through it and hated it.
I could not understand the mind of people who went shopping the day after thanksgiving or xmas. Sadistic is what it is.
But, I have the joys of internet shopping.
I usually go to Amazon and just do the whole thing. But, I go elsewhere. Punch a few buttons, click and a few days later there it is, right in front of your door.
It's so easy and hassle free. No driving in traffic or putting up with stupid people feeling like you will faint from the heat of the store and bodies. No more trying to get into a small area to grab something. No more xmas music. God I hate xmas music.
I just sit and click and I'm done and didn't break a sweat or feel like screaming forever.
It's so much nicer and easier and I don't dread it anymore.

Christmas has become a bit of a 10000000 headed hydra, with just as many different feelings about it as there are people .... And there is no doubt the madness begins earlier than it used to ...

As you probably know, I am atheist, and so I dont 'celebrate' Jesus or faith or a son of god being birthed somewhere dusty and poor ... But I DO enjoy being with my kids, and getting them presents, NOT because a messiah was born, but because THEY LIKE IT, and it makes them happy in this crazy mixed up, fucked up world ..... That little bit of joy is GOOD for them ... NOT because they become enriched with 'stuff', but because they know someone cares for them, and keeps them in positive thoughts always ....
and is looking out for them, and making them safe as they can be ...

I dont care so much about Christmas in and of itself, but it should be recognized that the boorish shallow behaviour of the human beings pushing each other around in shopping malls ARE boors, and they will be boors ALL year .... They just get somewhat concentrated during the crazy season, and their relative density increases astronomically .... Who wants that ANY time of year ? ....

It's just a fluke .... They usually stay in their hovels or castles, and dont all flush the toilets in one fell swoop, but christmas shopping happens to funnel them into one vicious beehive of ugliness ....

Will ? ... You can find the goodness with the badness ... if anyone can, you can .... Ignore the absolutists who responded here, and keep on your path .. it is honest, gritty, real, and human ...

I want you to know something: I can say "Fuck Christmas and Merry Christmas" in one breath ... In one sentence ... Because, like most everything in life, there is a good and a bad in it ....

Kinda like, Pumpkin Ale ....

There is a consistency there, because these are human responses to crazy human behaviours ...

Cheers to ya, Will .... From Mine To Yours,

Merry Christmas ....

Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad Feliz Navidad

:evilgrin:

or maybe it's different with me. I like Christmas, because it's the time of year when I can visit my family, and, for the most part, we get along. We play games, we play road hockey, we do Xtreme sledding (something for another thread - with video!).

I don't have a TV and I'm (like most of my family) not a shopper. The best part of Christmas morning for me (and my family) is not the opening of the presents. It's the xmas breakfast, and then the "opening of the stockings". Our breakfasts are large and elaborate. Everyone pitches in. This year, my nephew and his S.O. made delicious pancakes; I made this heart-stopping hashbrowns; my mum baked bread, and it goes on and on... Our stockings consist of things that you never think to buy for yourself. Simple things. I, for example, got 2 microweave face clothes, homemade chocolates, a hand made xmas ornament, several lottery tickets, a silk scarf and a drink maker (batteries not included) as well as a 750gm Toberlone chocolate bar and a madarin orange! Most triumphant! There was also the obligatory bath salts and some other things... My xmas presents included a picture of my newest niece, gift cards for the local book store and some girly, smelly stuff. Oh, and money from the 'rents... All in all, a very good xmas. Plus, (and this is most important) my team beat the other family team in Cranium. And Stockticker. And Trivial Pursuit. And road hockey. So, to me, it's all good.

ETA: In the evening, after the too much food dinner, and too many board games, we watch a video. I lost this year. :::sigh::: My brother got "Fearless" and the original "Godzilla" movies (the Japanese version, without Raymond Burr} and my sister got the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I voted for Godzilla and Pirates... I was outvoted. We got the Jet Li movie. I don't understand my family sometimes. Godzilla & Captain Jack Sparrow vs Jet Li... and I lost... philistines.

Just kidding. Great rant. I don't know if I could write one that long.

I was aghast at the Christmas stuff coming out around Halloween, too.

Yeah, I sort of tuned out Christmas many years ago, the over-commercialization being only one of the reasons.

This is why I quit Christmas in my 30s but sadly, his son dragged me back sort of. I shop for toys for him, early, and then hunker down. I hate this time of year, not because of the holiday aspect but because of the rampant and frightening consumerism. I always, always participate in Buy Nothing Day and in fact, finish my shopping (and not much at that) by then as well and I won't even step foot into any store much less a mall after BND.

Plenty of people asked me who I pissed off to be working Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (I'm a nurse and as you know, hospitals don't close over Christmas) and were surprised when I said I volunteered. They were shocked when the day after Christmas when everyone was asking what everyone got and I said I don't celebrate the holiday. Someone asked me tentatively if that was a religious prohibition and I got to explain my disgust witht he rampant consumerism of the season. They were a bit confused so I doubt that the end to this obscenity will come any time soon.

As far as your last question, I think it has not a damn thing to do with it. But then, what does bringing an evergreen tree into your house and decorating it with lights and glitter have to do with it? Not much, but then what does a chicken laying eggs have to do with the resurrection of said same guy? Alas, as a Pagan, I have a better understanding of what both of those really have to do with but I suspect you do too, yes?

It's nice to see my point of view written up by my favorite writer. Except for the age difference, I would swear you were my twin (albeit you are better writer).

I worked T'Day and C'Day for years doing tech support. Double time and a HALF! and no calls. They feed us too.

Work. The best thing to occupy the 'merry merry merry'. Whoa.

Hope you had a great one! Thank you for being on the front line.

thanks for the romp through DU . Christmas past. Thank gawdess it's ovah.

Pickin up a tab. But not for your drinks. What is this CHRISTMAS?

(NT)

The country almost shuts down over the Christmas-New Year.
Just saying.

And them's a lot of words.

I hear you, though. This is the first year in my life I did not have a tree nor did I buy any presents.

I just backed out of the whole mess and it's one of the best holiday seasons I ever had. Of course, Christmas is not really "over" in my mind til January 6th (raised Episcopalian, 12 days worth- that's what you're taught) , but as far as the retailers and media are concerned there is only one day of Christmas and they shove it down our throats whether we want it or not.

I spent Christmas Eve making coookies and taking some to my kids' place, where there were some young folks missing their parents. They decorated the cookies for me and we stayed up late making fun of Christmas and enjoying the Charlie Brown tree the kids chopped down in the woods.

Christmas day, I visited with my parents and children, and guess what? Not one kid cared that I had no gifts.

"Your visit is our gift" they said. I gave my parents a painting I had done from a photograph my mother took at Foster Falls.

So, yeah, it would be great if everybody took the simpler approach. I feel great for having ducked out of the whole $$$$$ spectacle.

But I did listen to some Christmas music. Forgive me. The one time I worked retail at Christmas, our boss let us play Dylan and the Stones and anything else we liked, so I wasn't subjected to any Assault by Carols...

:)

it's just getting started! I like to take the European approach. In UK and most of the rest of Europe, Christmas is celebrated *at least* through New Years Day, but usually through Twelfth Night (Jan. 6) and sometimes even longer in some countries.

In our house, we really try to keep the spirit of Christmas going through early January, especially in the week between Christmas and New Year's. We feast on the Christmas goodies, and maybe even make some more cookies or candy if some of the favorites didn't get made in the pre-25th chaos (or if they got eaten too quickly), watch movies (the Christmas classics that we watch year after year, plus try out some new ones), play with the Christmas-present games and puzzzles, have friends over, etc. My daughter was supposed to go to softball practice on the 26th, which would have meant that she and hubby would have been gone for 3 -3 1/2 hours in the prime part of the evening, but I but my foot down and said "NO, this is the day after Christmas and it is family time!" We had dinner together and went out to see "The Pursuit of Happiness".

It really saddens me to see Christmas trees out on the curb on the morning of Dec 26. In my family growing up, the tree always stayed up til Jan. 6 (mom was of German heritage), and I still do the same (actually, sometimes due to procrastination it doesn't come down until MUCH later ;-) ). When I was little, lots of visiting with the local cousins, aunts,and uncles, along with the consumption of lots of good food and drink happened all week long. When I was in 5th and 6th grade, we lived in a small town outside of Pgh, PA, where on the night of Jan. 6 they burned the area Christmas trees on a big bonfire while everyone stood around and sang Christmas carols. I thought that was a really nice tradition.

Extending the holiday well past the gift-opening frenzy of the 25th (which we're trying to minimize) really helps to take the focus off of the presents and the commercialism and emphasizes the GOOD things that the season is supposed to be about.