Annual Christmas Rant
Posted by Jeff Pruitt - 12/24/08 @ 2:13 pm - Filed Under Featured, Uncategorized
Since people in my family are probably tired of hearing my annual Christmas rant I will share it with FWP readers (lucky you). Can I really be the only person out there that despises our consumer-driven concept of Christmas?
Christmas has become about gifts and literally nothing more. I really don’t get why adults have to spend money they don’t have buying other adults crap they don’t need. I can see buying children gifts but even that has gone completely over the top. As an example my own grandmother, who lives on Social Security, spends a couple hundred dollars on gifts for me and my wife. My grandmother has a big heart and buying gifts makes her feel good but I don’t need the stuff and she simply can’t afford it.
The truth is Christmas has become a microcosm of the entire US economy. People spend their way into debt every single Winter and then spend the rest of the year struggling to claw their way out. It isn’t necessary and frankly I find this entire modern-day concept of Christmas appalling.
It shouldn’t just be about material goods and debt. There are people out there that cannot afford life’s necessities and it seems like we would all be better off if Christmas was about them - you know the old (out-dated?) idea of helping those less fortunate than ourselves. Am I truly out in left field on this or are there people out there that agree?
If there are people out there that agree then how do you celebrate Christmas? Perhaps you can share ideas with me on what you do to make a difference rather then just running up debt buying worthless junk from China.
Oh yea, and Merry Christmas to you all…
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17 Responses to “Annual Christmas Rant”
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Jeff,
I think that the materialistic nature of Christmas has always existed. It’s just more in our faces (thanks to information explosion and various means to deliver that information).
So here’s where I’ll take a different path from you…
I don’t think that Christmas is about giving to the less fortunate. To me, designating Christmas to be “that” label is almost as bad as designating Christmas to be about gifts.
Helping other people should be a year round effort. And it isn’t necessarily about giving materialistic things to others. Sometimes, just holding someone’s hand or listening to them talk about all of their worries, is a gift.
I absolutely do not advertise the things that I do in regards to “helping others”. It’s not a contest. It’s something though, that was instilled in me as a very young child.
You asked, how do you celebrate Christmas?
We don’t have a ton of family. We do make the rounds during the month of December (mostly because we’re both on vacation then and Ethan is out of school). It isn’t to get gifts, but just to enjoy the company of what family we have left.
When my son Ethan was born, I decided that every Christmas, I would give him a book inscribed with some thoughts from me. The books I have selected are either a favorite one from my childhood or ones that just stand out as something that would be meaningful for my son. And I don’t mean meaningful in a video game kind of way ;). Maybe it addresses a struggle he is facing….or a confusing time in his life…
Aside from that - the whole gift giving thing in our household (for a holiday) has pretty much tapered off to nothing (or very few things).
Why? I like to give people material gifts for specific reasons and a holiday just doesn’t seem to be a good enough reason to me. Tomorrow, my son and husband would be okay with getting nothing (ditto for me).
Jeff,
I agree with you on this 100%. I have been trying to persuade my friends and family to avoid giving in to the usual madness that is the modern American Christmas.
The deeper meanings of the holiday have been lost and unfortunately I have little faith that this will change in the near future.
I totally agree
I agree with the previous posts. I have come to realize I have enough stuff. A recent post I saw on YouTube describing the need of a specific non-profit. So I have started asking people if they are buying me a gift, instead give the same amount to a non-profit of their choice (from my list of preferreds) in my name. I feel a freedom never before experienced. This could be a wave of the future.
Our family doesn’t do gifts, or for that matter even Christmas cards. Dad always insists on something, but at this point it’s usually some summer sausage and cheese from Hickory Farms which is plenty! We spend time together every holiday and I think that’s been enough for all of us. I too dislike the commercialism of the holiday and friends find it odd that instead of cards, I usually wait until the day and call them. That’s how we do it.
THE gift at Christmas was given over 2000 years ago in a little town in present day Israel - a gift given to humans who deserved absolutely NOTHING by a gracious, loving, forgiving God. Jesus is the only reason for the season.
See Scott’s post entitled “Advent Conspiracy Promo Video” at http://www.Greiders.blogspot.com for an alternative to our senseless way of celebrating the birth of the Savior of Mankind.
Wishing everyone a Blessed Christmas!
We don’t do much of a gift exchange among the adults in the family, and I don’t think we go overboard on the kids. I agree that Christmas is way too materialistic.
But give your grandmother a break, Jeff - you may be an adult and parent, but she still sees you as that 5-year-old who could hardly wait to open presents on Christmas morning. You’ll see as your daughter gets older - it’s hard to remember that they aren’t tiny anymore!
Jeff …
Shame on you. If there was ever an economy that needed a materialistic Christmas, it is now.
On the other hand …for two very different editorials on what Christmas is, let me offer …
The New York Times Christmas editorial
The Washington Times Christmas editorial
Oops …busted link to Washington Times Christmas.
Try this:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/24/fear-not-for-behold-i-bring-you-good-tidings-of-gr/
Jeff, I hate to agree with you and be all bahumbuggy, but I agree. When I was at local stores this year I could see the stress on people’s faces. It is ridiculouse for people to go into debt each year at Christmas and then dig themselves out for the next 11 months! It also makes me sick to see the Christmas stuff out with the Halloween decorations. But, I do agree with Karen, Your Grandma will forever see you as her little grandson, so you ought to savor the gifts she gives you because she probably gets a lot of joy out of giving them even if she might not be able to afford them.
I have to agree. I have always thought Christmas was too materialistic. I think we are becoming more and more materialistic as a society. And I think that is reflected by Christmas.
I get so anxious and nervous around October because I know I have to figure out how much I can afford to spend, what to buy, and to make sure all the kids and grand kids get a pretty even amount of money spent on them.
Once I control the anxiety - well, not completely - I get fuming mad at the commercialism and materialism. I spend every day until Christmas ticked off at the constant bombardment of TV commercials harping about what we “have to have.”
But this year my sons and I decided to donate to the food banks - at least in place of the gifts for the adults. Why isn’t Christmas about helping others? I donate year round, why not give a little more at Christmas in place of the gadgets?
So now, we have to listen to the commercials for the - ta da - after Christmas sales. Now we can listen to more blame heaped upon the consumer because “we” didn’t spend enough. Merchants keep whining about how consumers should spend more and how poor their season has been.
Consumers are damned if they do (spend) and damned if they don’t (spend). If we decide to cut spending and be more frugal, then we hear that it is our fault for not buying enough to provide the retailers with a “good” season.
On the other hand, if we go out and spend, spend, spend, we are accused of being irresponsible and racking up credit card debt. And we are a nation of debtors.
And as long as we are spouting off - I am tired of hearing people say, “Oh, but Christmas is for the kids.” No it isn’t! Christmas is for all of us. Who on earth decided that Christmas somehow morphed into a holiday for kids?
Sorry, but Christmas is for everyone to celebrate - adults and kids. If adults think Christmas is for kids, they have truly lost the meaning.
Americans need to start thinking and behaving in a new and different way - and that includes businesses and consumers.
I’m not pro- or anti consumption. If you need to buy something, or if an object makes your life easier or more enjoyable, go ahead and buy it. But it is a fallacy that you should buy something simply to stimulate the economy. You probably should be saving your money in case you lose your job. But if you do have enough saved up, you can donate that money to a charity that will used that money to hire workers and buy more needed items, or you can invest it and enable the company that you invest in to hire more workers and buy more equipment. Use your money to enrich your life or help others, but don’t use it to buy something that will just take up space.
Materialism ? Consumerism ?? Christmas ???
Wait a sec, who said the words “cut back”? I’m still following orders from a few years back to go out, shop and buy stuff to help defeat the terrorists. The credit cards are maxed out, checking account is dry, eviction from my house comes next week, but I’m still buying to be buying because this a matter of national security at hand here.
I think President Bush needs to stage a press conference, stand outside of a Wal-Mart in Flint, MI, and McEducate the American people on the importance of buying cheap, plastic trinkets to keep many a Chinese laborer employed. What’s good for China is good for the States, because we need that line of credit flowing from the East to help us pay for the Iraq War. Besides, this sort of public appearance by our commander-in-chief would be a huge hit, especially to the folks who recently lost their jobs and are living off of unemployment.
But seriously, I have to admit, I love buying useless crap. Doesn’t matter what it is, it gives me about a two minute pump up, then quickly the feeling fades. But you know what ? I can get that little fuzzy feeling again when I go out and buy more stuff.
So stand up, go out and buy tons of useless stuff. Fill your homes, garages, backseats of cars, portable aluminum storage sheds with lots and lots of stuff. Then when you are done with that same stuff and you can’t stand to look at it anymore, toss it into the garbage can, and send that stuff away to a landfill down the street. Or if you live in a trailer out in the country, just dig a big ‘ole hole in the back yard back by the fence or possibly burn that stuff around the camp fire. (High density plastic toys put off a thick, black, stream of smoke that can be seen for miles)
And you know what ? Lots of cheap plastic stuff is on sale now. So don’t delay, go out and buy more (preferably plastic, made in China) stuff today !
Truly Jeff, I hope you had a very merry Christmas.
CML
I hate to play devil’s advocate, but I disagree that we have lost sight of the real meaning of Christmas. Buying beyond our means and over-generosity is simply how we express our celebration of the birth of Santa.
LOL @ Keith. NICE!
Jeff: Set your sights on Valentine’s Day first, THEN wrestle with the heavyweights (sweet baby Jesus and Santa). For all its glitz and glam, Xmas is still only the 2nd-tackiest annual consumer spend-a-thon on the calendar.
“Says here the retail industry
does fifty percent of its business
between December 1st and December 24th.
That’s half a year’s business in one month’s time.
It seems to me an intelligent country would
legislate a second such gift-giving holiday.
Create, say, a Christmas Two…in late May or early June, to further stimulate growth.”
~Jumpy, Reindeer Games (he’s taking night classes)
Thank you to everyone for your comments on this topic. I appreciate you all taking the time to share your thoughts.
In case you didn’t already know, I read every comment and e-mail involving this site and it never gets tired.
I hope everyone enjoyed this holiday season in one form or another…