QUOTE |
Is it me or do stores seem to push Christmas sales earlier every year? |
Mss...Bugs me too. And every year the stuff gets cheaper, flimsier, and just uglier. We have one store in town that has had Christmas stuff on the shelves since August. Are they nuts?
LDS_F..."overdoing it" seems to be the way to go for a lot of people. It's scary to me that people actually go into DEBT for their holiday gifts and decorations. That's just ridiculous, in my opinion.
Roz
Yea, it just really irks me, I mean Thanksgiving hasn't even gotten here in the states yet and the stores are already pushing for Christmas sales. Of course everyone likes to give and receive gifts, but it really should be about the 'Reason for the Season' not just for the commercial aspect of it.
And it makes it hard to teach our kids that what we are celebrating is not the coming of Santa Claus, but the birth of Christ. And why gifts are given at all. And, of course, that the whole thing started as a "pagan" celebration, anyway :) But let's not go there :0
Roz
In the States, Christmas sales make or break the entire year for most retail businesses. Â They sell the vast majority of their goods during this season. Â This is why they keep extending the length of the season. Â The longer the season, the more we buy. Â The more we buy, the more they make. I don't blame them for rushing the season. I think, we the consumers are to blame, really.
Since, in the US, we are just coming off a recession, and consumer spending has been up in recent months, I am sure that is why this year retailers are trying to make the Christmas season start even sooner than normal.
Do you realize that Hanukkah is a minor Jewish Holiday not a major one. Â Yet retail businesses have hyped it up in order to get the Jewish dollar at this same Christmas season. Â Also, I think some Jewish people also allow it to become commercialized so that their children can experience some of the same things Christian children experience with Christmas. Â In fact, I have known Jewish families that celebrate the Santa part of Christmas so that their children don't miss out on this.
I enjoy the commercial aspects of Christmas. Â I really do enjoy giving gifts to people and I love the decorations and extra kindness most people have for humanity during this period. Â I do, however, try to also keep some focus on the religious aspect of Christmas in my family and home.
My grandson believes in Santa and looks forward to his arrival, but I also tell him the Christmas is the day we celebrate Jesus's birthday. Â He is only 3 so I keep it simple, but Santa is a real and important part of Christmas to him. Â As long as it isn't the only part of Christmas to him, I think this is o.k. Â When he gets older, the focus will move away from Santa, but for now he gets a child's thrill waiting for the arrival of Santa and so do I.