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Has commercialism ruined Christmas?

Have the ruined Christmas?

  • Yes the spirt of the holiday has been lost

    Votes: 19 45.2%
  • No I like the materialistic side of xmas and its good for the economy

    Votes: 10 23.8%
  • Not really bothered either way its just another day off for me

    Votes: 13 31.0%

  • Total voters
    42

Higgins86

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Was in Wal*mart today and was shocked to see xmas tree's up, xmas music playing and the staff wearing xmas hats! Xmas has been very commercial for a long time as we all know but is it getting too much? Its only Nov 15th and it is already being shoved down our throats, I mean what about thanksgiving? This will be my 3rd thanksgiving and you hardly even hear about it!
Growing up I used to get excited on Dec 1st seeing all the decorations being put up and hyas it got closer you used to get that nice warm feeling inside knowing xmas was just around the cornor. Nowdays they start so early that by the time xmas actually comes I just want it to be over with and all the good spirt and magic of xmas is lost. I was brought up a catholic and I have to say its very odd for me that there is not even a sign in the stores that it is a relgious holiday just full of tacky snowmen and cheap toys.
 
I would say it has more to do with you being an adult now. :(
 
You missed the part where I can say, "I enjoy both the commercialism and the personal moments of Christmas."
 
I would say it has more to do with you being an adult now. :(


no I don't think it's that because I still really enjoy xmas in the Europe especially Germany. We have nativity plays, carol singers everywhere and as a whole xmas decorations dont go up until dec 1st, even as a kid I don't recall xmas decorations going up this early and it get worse every year.
 
no I don't think it's that because I still really enjoy xmas in the Europe especially Germany. We have nativity plays, carol singers everywhere and as a whole xmas decorations dont go up until dec 1st, even as a kid I don't recall xmas decorations going up this early and it get worse every year.

I just honestly think you are misviewing Christmas as an adult. When you were a child it was a time of receiving. Maybe now that you are an adult you are viewing it as a time of giving. Not saying you are a cheap gate, but I think this could have a semi-psychological effect on your view. Merry X-mas anyways though. I do agree, personally, that it is to early to put up decorations.
 
Was in Wal*mart today and was shocked to see xmas tree's up, xmas music playing and the staff wearing xmas hats! Xmas has been very commercial for a long time as we all know but is it getting too much? Its only Nov 15th and it is already being shoved down our throats, I mean what about thanksgiving? This will be my 3rd thanksgiving and you hardly even hear about it!
Growing up I used to get excited on Dec 1st seeing all the decorations being put up and hyas it got closer you used to get that nice warm feeling inside knowing xmas was just around the cornor. Nowdays they start so early that by the time xmas actually comes I just want it to be over with and all the good spirt and magic of xmas is lost. I was brought up a catholic and I have to say its very odd for me that there is not even a sign in the stores that it is a relgious holiday just full of tacky snowmen and cheap toys.

The two things I like best about christmas are
1. My wife spends two months very happy and baking all sorts of cakes, pies, etc. She is in a great mood and that mood extends to the entire family.
2. The air just feels festive with anticipation with the general population.

Between those two things, actual christmas day is a bet of a letdown. However, the commercial aspect doesn't really play into it for me.
 
I just honestly think you are misviewing Christmas as an adult. When you were a child it was a time of receiving. Maybe now that you are an adult you are viewing it as a time of giving. Not saying you are a cheap gate, but I think this could have a semi-psychological effect on your view. Merry X-mas anyways though. I do agree, personally, that it is to early to put up decorations.

No I love the giving part especially as I have a 2 year old son, just makes me sad thats all xmas is about now. Tv adverts full of toys you have to buy etc
 
The two things I like best about christmas are
1. My wife spends two months very happy and baking all sorts of cakes, pies, etc. She is in a great mood and that mood extends to the entire family.
2. The air just feels festive with anticipation with the general population.

Between those two things, actual christmas day is a bet of a letdown. However, the commercial aspect doesn't really play into it for me.


agree about the food, my wife makes a mean mince pie
 
I think the spririt has been lost to the "money changers".
 
Was in Wal*mart today and was shocked to see xmas tree's up, xmas music playing and the staff wearing xmas hats!
LOL @ being shocked about it.
That stuff was shipped to the store in July.

Growing up I used to get excited on Dec 1st seeing all the decorations being put up and hyas it got closer you used to get that nice warm feeling inside knowing xmas was just around the cornor.
Because as child you were excited solely by the approach of Jesus' birthday and not because you were going to get presents, pies and candy. That's how I remember it anyway. As an eight year old I was always like, "I don't need any Christmas toys. Give all my presents to the poor. I am just so happy for Jesus' birthday to be here."

I was brought up a catholic and I have to say its very odd for me that there is not even a sign in the stores that it is a relgious holiday just full of tacky snowmen and cheap toys.
If the store thought there was money to be made from putting up a sign that Christmas is religious holiday, I am sure they would do it.
But, generally Wal-Mart is somewhere that I look to to be an arbiter of social customs or mores. For me, all I expect is for Wal-Mart to sell stuff.
 
when they start pushing the season before Halloween, it bothers me. i saw the first rollout of Christmas items in my area mid October.

personally, i would prefer they wait until after Thanksgiving.

also, Halloween items started appearing August 6th this year.

dear commercial retailers and producers : you can't fix your bottom line by pushing the Christmas season back to May. you can, however, encourage people to spend by hiring them and paying a decent wage. people spend a lot more when they have jobs.
 
No I love the giving part especially as I have a 2 year old son, just makes me sad thats all xmas is about now. Tv adverts full of toys you have to buy etc

You should try exercising more control over the way external factors influence your mood. Additionally, as a parent you have the right to create the xmas season of your liking. I just saw some xmas stuff yesterday and it made me happy. I always look forward to lighting up the house to look like we are the Grizwold family.
 
No vote, again, overly limited choices.
Too bad that so many do not know the true meaning of Christmas.,,,
I barely know it myself..
 
when they start pushing the season before Halloween, it bothers me. i saw the first rollout of Christmas items in my area mid October.

personally, i would prefer they wait until after Thanksgiving.

also, Halloween items started appearing August 6th this year.

dear commercial retailers and producers : you can't fix your bottom line by pushing the Christmas season back to May. you can, however, encourage people to spend by hiring them and paying a decent wage. people spend a lot more when they have jobs.
But, rather than having more personal material goods; we need a far better education system for both us and our children, a better infrastructure...these are social things...
We need more tolerance, understanding...less conservatism , more liberalism.
Now, obviously, things are out of balance, IMO.
 
For some families, it probably has.

Depends on whether you can own your possessions or if they have to own you.

... what? Skyrim doesn't own me. It's totally of my own free will I'm going to play it...
 
I am a firm believer that Christian groups ought to unite and announce their very clear intention to put the 'Christ' back in Christmas and spend a few years completely disavowing the commercial side of it. I guarantee after the first month people will be putting nativity sets up in Starbucks.
 
Christianity has ruined christmas. The fact that Christians use the birth of their supposed lord just to make money shows messed up Christianity is.
 
Christmas had nothing to do with Christ. It has everything to do with spreading love and wealth. :)
 
I'm not so much bothered by it as amused. When I was younger there were thanksgiving displays in November(go figure) and television centered around the Thanksgiving holiday. It was great to hang out with family for turkey day and then go back home and trim the tree. Now it's like, "Happy New Year, are you ready for Christmas!".
 
Christianity has ruined christmas. The fact that Christians use the birth of their supposed lord just to make money shows messed up Christianity is.

Christmas had nothing to do with Christ. It has everything to do with spreading love and wealth. :)
You two DO realize that Christmas is a Christian holiday right? Hell, the prefix is all you need to look at. Christmas.
 
You two DO realize that Christmas is a Christian holiday right? Hell, the prefix is all you need to look at. Christmas.

Do you feel the need to claim the holiday for yourself? (I'm sure you'll enjoy my new sig ;))
 
Was in Wal*mart today and was shocked to see xmas tree's up, xmas music playing and the staff wearing xmas hats! Xmas has been very commercial for a long time as we all know but is it getting too much? Its only Nov 15th and it is already being shoved down our throats, I mean what about thanksgiving? This will be my 3rd thanksgiving and you hardly even hear about it!
Growing up I used to get excited on Dec 1st seeing all the decorations being put up and hyas it got closer you used to get that nice warm feeling inside knowing xmas was just around the cornor. Nowdays they start so early that by the time xmas actually comes I just want it to be over with and all the good spirt and magic of xmas is lost. I was brought up a catholic and I have to say its very odd for me that there is not even a sign in the stores that it is a relgious holiday just full of tacky snowmen and cheap toys.

Hi, Higgins. If you think Christmas is too commercial, then that's on you (no offense). I think one can choose to celebrate Christmas any way one chooses. Thanks to Josie's post about Christmas a week or so ago, we plan on doing all of our shopping at local stores rather than chains knowing that we're supporting our local businessmen instead of the WalMart's of the world. We always give to a Toys for Tots program in the neighborhood knowing the Marines make sure the toys get to the kids that need them. For some people on our list, we make a donation to PAWS (a no-kill animal shelter in Chicago). And we go for the thoughtful gifts rather than the chachkies. It takes a lot more thought (brain-wracking sometimes), but it feels good. I think one reason people get messed up about Christmas is that they feel pressure to over-spend. Don't do it. Spend three times as long making your list as you do shopping. You'd be surprised what you can come up with.

As for the holiday decorations in the stores, they're beautiful!! And the Christmas music? That's inspiring!!

Christmas doesn't have to be commercial at your house. No, no it doesn't. ;)
 
Do you feel the need to claim the holiday for yourself? (I'm sure you'll enjoy my new sig ;))
Why do you feel the need to be included? Personally I don't care who celebrates it but it's a religious holiday, don't complain that the people whose religion the celebration is based on "claim it". So here it is again, christ;christian;christmas.
 
Was in Wal*mart today and was shocked to see xmas tree's up, xmas music playing and the staff wearing xmas hats! Xmas has been very commercial for a long time as we all know but is it getting too much? Its only Nov 15th and it is already being shoved down our throats, I mean what about thanksgiving? This will be my 3rd thanksgiving and you hardly even hear about it!
Growing up I used to get excited on Dec 1st seeing all the decorations being put up and hyas it got closer you used to get that nice warm feeling inside knowing xmas was just around the cornor. Nowdays they start so early that by the time xmas actually comes I just want it to be over with and all the good spirt and magic of xmas is lost. I was brought up a catholic and I have to say its very odd for me that there is not even a sign in the stores that it is a relgious holiday just full of tacky snowmen and cheap toys.
Guess you haven't been out and about for the past three months. Lowe's and other big-box stores moved their gardening and other stuff out in September.

I didn't see a voting option for me. Sure, for some, it's about the "spirit of the holiday" (not defined) or about "materialism" or about nothing but a day off. All extremes.

How do you define the "spirit of the holiday"? Annual family gatherings and required gift-giving?

Or does "spirit" refer to religious observance of the birth of Jesus Christ?

Most of these options or some of them?

My guess is that if "Jesus is the reason for the season or if Christmas is an annual gathering of the clan (whether religious or secular), " the "spirit of the season" isn't going to be spoiled by "commercialism."
 
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