My Personal War On Christmas

[mindwalker_i]

It's been a long time coming, but I've decided to start my own, personal war on Christmas. For too many years, my disillusionment with it has grown. I've stood quietly by (mostly) and not ruined it for everybody else but no more.

I started disliking Christmas years ago. It was in the 80s and I was newly a teen when on Christmas, my family was over at my aunt's place along with a cousin's family which included a little boy and girl. My dad was out of work thanks to Reagan. I watched as my cousin's kids opened one present after another for at least an hour. No sooner was one open than they started on the next. It was horrendous and disgusting.

The whole idea of giving gifts has lost most if not all of its meaning. As I understand it, the world wasn't always an industrialized "civilization" with manufacturing and mass production. I imagine that at one time, giving somebody something meant a real personal investment in time and energy to make a gift. Now, you just go to the store, give them some money, give them some more money to wrap it for you, and give somebody else some money to mail it. Don't forget to buy insurance for big ticket items.

It's so easy, that people give each other a lot more things. All to often it's more a matter of giving *something* since they will give you something. What you or they need or want isn't important (granted, not always). So people shovel more manufactured crap upon each other year after year.

This is the true spirit, the true religion of America. More shit! Shopping is like Sunday worship, the malls like the ultimate churches with cash registers as the altars that we wait in line to make our offerings at. Last year, the blood offerings that Americans made was in the form of billions of dollars of credit card debt. A news report showed a woman coming out of a mall with four TVs (I'm kind of surprised she wasn't mowed down in the mad rush after the store opened that morning at 5AM).

So what about Jesus? Even as an athiest, I would welcome him back as the focus of Christmas. Not the Jesus that we hear about from O'Reilly or Rush but the Jesus who cared about people. The Jesus that preached love of your neighbor. The Jesus who didn't need a Hummer to haul his ego around in.

I don't think I can win this war.

-mwalker

[NanceGreggs]

1. Brilliant rant ...

... grounded in the oh-so-horrible truth.

:applause:

[sandnsea]

2. It isn't that way for everybody

Lots of people still save all year to put together a thoughtful $25 gift for a loved one. Others can't even manage that. Why don't you change YOU and make Christmas meaningful to YOU, and let everybody else alone to figure it out for themselves. Criticizing others doesn't mean you've become anything better.

[mindwalker_i]

4. Actually I have

For Christmas, I go hang out with my parents, parents in law, or both. I do my best to keep out of the whole gift-giving thing and just enjoy people's company. That's what I really enjoy.

-mwalker

[sandnsea]

7. Then what's with the post?

If you're enjoying time with your family, then why don't you post about that? So what if other people go on a shopping spree, no skin off your nose. And what about your contribution? What makes you so much better if you're enjoying all the holiday work and efforts of others, and doing nothing but being a crabby scrooge about it all?

I am sorry, I just don't find these snippy condescending holiday posts as anything but some sort of twisted self-indulgent tantrum; oh look at me, I'm too cool for christmas -- blech. Anybody who can't figure out how to celebrate a couple of days a year has got a screw loose, imho.

[mindwalker_i]

10. So this being a political board...

Geeze, some people just can't appreciate a good rant :)

So this being a political board, talking about how something is all good would make for a boring post that nobody'd want to read. Hell, if we were all happy about stuff, why would we be here trying to change it?

This rant is my reaction to the "put Christ back in Christmas" crowd. I'll spell it out: they're making their pitch as to how they say everybody should feel and behave. They're saying that everybody should worhip Christ during this time of year and subscribe to their religion in that respect (one small step...). This has nothing to do with what they actually feel. The point is more to control people and keep them in the nice little consumer mold that has been set forth for the masses to be part of.

Ultimitely this is about the "consumer mentality" that I find so prevalent. The point of a democracy is that people are supposed to figure out what's messed up and change it - rather than "love it or leave it," I prefer "love it or change it." In fact, that is the core principle that is most important. Making people into consumers is leads to people not caring about the real issues facing the country or world.

-mwalker

[sandnsea]

15. Lots of people in this thread are

'changing it', through their actions, not by looking down their noses at everybody else.

[uppityperson]

13. So no more rants allowed on DU?

Criticizing others doesn't mean you've become anything better.

[sandnsea]

14. Rant away

I never said anyone had to stop. I also never proposed that a depressing negative rant makes anything better. I frankly don't know how some people manage to get out of bed, with so many negative posts around here some days. People act like looking down their nose at 'commercialism' makes them politically superior, but it doesn't. It just makes them spoiled brats who are too selfish to think enough about others to give, whether it costs anything or not.

[Glorfindel]

8. Me, too...being together is truly more important than gifts

I usually spend Christmas with my favorite cousin (more like a sister) and her family, and for those family members I can't be with, I send Christmas cards (which I try to select carefully with each person's personality in mind) and calendars. Not expensive at all, but everyone seems to enjoy them. It's a good way to keep in touch. Actually, Thanksgiving is when our extended family all get together once a year. I love both holidays, and thank God constantly for the world's best and most supportive family. I can't imagine what I'd do without them.

[Imalittleteapot]

3. I'll join your army.

You might be surprised at how many people share your opinion...It's an uphill battle, but totally winnable in say a few decades???

The final blow for me was Christmas decorations in the stores at Halloween.

[Freedomofspeech]

5. How can anyone celebrate with the mess we've created...

in Iraq? I spent the morning boxing up things to send to one of my students and his troops in Iraq. I cried as I did it, and cried on and off the rest of the day. As I was packing everything, I was wondering if these young men would live to enjoy any of this stuff, and would they ever get home again. What bullshit. My student is a graduate of the Naval Academy, and chose to go to the Marines. He's 24, and in charge of a bunch of young men he just met a few months ago. None of these young people should be in this position. Meantime, the idiot in chief is making movies of his dog, while people are being blown up thanks to him. Merry freakin' Christmas.

[kineneb]

6. my small gift

I just gave my friends their present- a $20 bill. Their finances are little messed up, due to switching banks, etc. and they didn't have enough money to buy gas. So I gave them an early present they could really use. It should tide them over until they can get paid and get some cash.

Oh, and I should mention, we live on $1200/month, so we are not rich.

My family is getting handmade gifts this year- small wooden boxes and "art" from my oil painting class.

[sandnsea]

9. Sounds wonderful

Exactly the spirit of the season. I'd love to see pictures of your boxes, I bet they're beautiful.

[uppityperson]

11. Good rant. I too am tired of worshipping the God of $$ and Consumerism

My christmas is to be with my family.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. This year I gave a care package to some troop

Also some cheap boxes of cookies to the people working security and sent some to my family.

After that... we are Jewish... so for many years my Christmas gift was to work that shift so soembody else could go home and enjoy the holiday with family