Stop the Consumerism Before It's Too Late!
I don’t like Christmas. There, I said it. I am not an atheist or a Buddhist. I am not Jewish. I am a Christian and yes, I really do hate Christmas. My utter disdain for this much too merry and way too bright holiday has nothing to do with religion whatsoever. Totally respect the whole Jesus’ birthday aspect of the whole brouhaha but outside of saying Happy Birthday to the old dude, I could bypass the holiday altogether.
Try as I might, I have never understood what all the hoopla and hubbub surrounding Christmas is all about. To me it is an ungodly jumble of red and green nonsense blinding me everywhere I go; blinking lights, ready to induce seizures the second one stares too long, buildings decorated with ridiculously elaborate displays, rooftops depicting Santa’s reindeer and sleigh in various stages of flight, humongous blowup characters bob back and forth like tweaking meth addicts, and window cases showing a multitude of different views of Santa’s workshop flood the streets. There is just NO escaping it! And for what? How does any of it aid in the true meaning of Christmas?
What gets me the most about the non-stop barrage of Yule tide-partridge in a pear tree-jingle-bell-merry is the hidden agenda the general public is sucked into. Behind every message of good tidings and cheer is a message of “buy me to give or the good tidings and cheer will not be yours.” ’Tis the spirit of the season to be generous and this “buy one get one free offer which is only available the next twelve hours, will make you so.” The pressure gets ladled on as heavy as the Christmas gravy for one to purchase the perfect gift for everyone on their list. The holiday has turned into a materiality-obsessed, consumerism free for all, instead of the celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth, (or winter solstice for those nonreligious folks), that it originally was meant to be. We’ve even gone so far as to decimate the purpose and meaning of the holiday just prior to Christmas in order to begin monopolizing on the gifts which have become the only focus of this season for giving and sharing.
When did the spirit of giving become defined as the presentation of an item with monetary value to another person? To “give” simply means: to present (anything) voluntarily without expecting compensation. Giving honestly has no limits, yet our society places limits on it. Materialism is encouraged, indoctrinated, and glorified during this season of mistletoe and sugar plum fairies. The magic has been lost to door buster sales and early bird specials. Our children are forgetting about gingerbread men, Jack Frost, and flying reindeer while their mother’s are busy fighting like Rhonda Rousey to get the last Easy Bake Oven Deluxe or Lego Star Wars edition playset while it’s half off; when everything is bought so cheap, there’s more money to spend on more toys! Toys for already spoiled rotten children who will never know what it is like to wake up Christmas morning and find only a couple of small presents under the tabletop-sized Christmas tree. Spending to give empty values, instead of teaching to give from the heart, valuably.
This season, I’m taking a good look at how my family celebrates the season. How obnoxiously ornate must our house front look in order to feel worthy and self-fulfilled? Wouldn’t the $600 spent on strands of overly glorified miniature fluorescent bulbs and the $600 on electricity to power the whole shebang be better served giving a Christmas or two or three, to a family in need? For me, it is hands down obvious. Spending thousands of dollars on material items which will only be lost, broken or forgotten about in a matter of weeks as they move on to newer and cooler things would be better served teaching my children how to give back to their community by buying meals for those who would otherwise go without. I am not saying to take away Christmas all together just because someone else is going without, but I am definitely saying we should take it down a notch.
I just can’t help but to hate the selfishness, the greed, and the pragmatism of Christmas time. Possessions will come and go but once humanity is lost there is no getting it back. Plan to spread some holiday magic around in the true nature of giving this and bring the holiday back to its roots. There really is no greater feeling in the world than to give selflessly and whole-heartedly, without wanting anything in return. Except, maybe, the underlying satisfaction of bringing pure joy to someone unsuspecting who may not otherwise experience as such. I hope you and your family consider joining me on this journey to find the real meaning of Christmas again. The one hidden behind the flashing, shimmering, over-the-top, ostentatious fanfare, and trade it in for holiday simplicity, generosity, and resorting faith in humanity.
In the meantime, I’ll be over here angrivated with the world and still hating Christmas; every seizure making neon blinking light, red-nosed reindeer, jolly old white beard man, and ornately decorated tree from here to Timbuktu…and the advertising pitches that they bring.
Kristina is a sahm of four rambunctious hoodlums who drive her to the brink of insanity and beyond. A writer by nature and a poet by heart, she has taken the leap into blogging to save her in therapy fees. A big dreamer with little luck in life, you can follow her journey at The Angrivated Mom or on Facebook and Twitter.
(Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post on the opposite side of holiday consumerism.)
