Christmas is merely a commercial civic holiday...
...meant to profit merchants and apparently give the economy a boost, hence putting individuals into debt. Why else do you think major shopping centres, christmas markets and whole streets are being decorated weeks, sometimes even months before the "actual day"?! This obnoxious travesty that ties up downtown traffic on a Saturday afternoon in an attempt to start off the buying frenzy called Christmas. It's also peak season for the charity beggars dressed in Santa Claus suit to panhandle their way into our hearts...
Many major retailers and local merchants chose to put up useless decorations and unveil their own store Santa. Instead of wasting money for that, they could just increase wokers´ wages and lower retail prices.
Try to imagine how many christmas trees are being cut down, how much of our precious resources and how much cash wasted (for unecessary presents and Christmas parades) all over the world in the name of some religious holiday.
I think I've wasted enough of my personal time and effort on something I hate and despise so much.
Future Shop ran a TV ad in Canada recently, in which a wife is telling her husband she loves him. He, however cannot seem to get out the words. On Christmas Day he receives a giant TV as a gift - making the words - I Love you come out of his mouth automatically. The message here: Buy me a big expensive gift and I will love you. No wonder people have gift giving anxiety if this is what the expectations are?
Sent by Santa - Another ridiculous money grabbing scheme by a company that provides personalized
letters from Santa from the North Pole. Another way to get parents to lie to there kids.
Some have even made a tradition of buying Christmas gifts for their pets. Making your pet feel like part of the family now includes everything from monogrammed food bowls, pet clothing and other accessories... wrapped presents and a prepackaged dog or cat stocking hung by the chimney.
Once upon a time there was Advent, a season of fasting and preparation, but by the 1950’s Advent was replaced with “Only Thirty Shopping Days Till X´mas.”
At the time, many people complained about the “commercialization” of Christmas but greed was never the real issue. In a consumerist society, there was some excuse in mistaking Christophobia for greed, but now we know. What are we going to do about it? Whine about the good old days? We could begin by wising up and refusing to give our business to Christophobic merchants who expect to make big money during the “Holiday Season”.
~peace~
PS: I recommend this song called "Buy Nothing At All" by Joel Kroeker. To read more about Joel Kroeker check out his site at joelkroeker.com.
