inkmusings » dogmas http://www.inkmuse.com/blog Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:19:06 +0000 en hourly 1 Christmas Spirit http://www.inkmuse.com/blog/life/2010/12/16/christmas-spirit.php http://www.inkmuse.com/blog/life/2010/12/16/christmas-spirit.php#comments Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:11:38 +0000 inkmuser http://www.inkmuse.com/blog/?p=582 I’ve ranted before about the uber-consumerism of the holidays, both from irritation about the season seeming to start earlier every year, to the stress of what overspending does to many folks who can’t afford it, yet feel the pull of the season. Yes, I know the government wants us all to spend, spend, spend to fuel the economy, but in the current climate that’s rather insane. Many Americans are in financial trouble today because of the excesses of yesterday, although clearly not all because of Christmas spending.

The reason for the season seems lost, the true justification for the gift-giving being religiously based. What happens if one is not religious? Then the reason becomes a gift-giving expectation with a touch of enjoying a time when people seem to be nicer to each other than usual. If all this is beginning to sound like I’m a Christmas Grinch, you’d be off target, but not totally. My childhood generated a lot of good Christmas memories, but truth be told, they were either gift-related or moments when our family got together in a festive way. The latter is a great reason for the season, the former a lousy one.

]]> I’ve ranted before about the uber-consumerism of the holidays, both from irritation about the season seeming to start earlier every year, to the stress of what overspending does to many folks who can’t afford it, yet feel the pull of the season. Yes, I know the government wants us all to spend, spend, spend to fuel the economy, but in the current climate that’s rather insane. Many Americans are in financial trouble today because of the excesses of yesterday, although clearly not all because of Christmas spending.

The reason for the season seems lost, the true justification for the gift-giving being religiously based. What happens if one is not religious? Then the reason becomes a gift-giving expectation with a touch of enjoying a time when people seem to be nicer to each other than usual. If all this is beginning to sound like I’m a Christmas Grinch, you’d be off target, but not totally. My childhood generated a lot of good Christmas memories, but truth be told, they were either gift-related or moments when our family got together in a festive way. The latter is a great reason for the season, the former a lousy one.

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