When American Research Group asked 1100 potential holiday shoppers, "What do you think you will spend on gifts this Christmas?", the average amount came to $861 dollars, up 8% over last year's anticipated spending. That figure is down from the peak in 2001 of $1053 dollars.
How did spending a bunch of money on competitive gift giving become associated with our winter celebrations?
If one is celebrating the birth of Christ this time of year, then the presents should be for him. But I don't remember anywhere saying that he requested $861 dollars worth of presents on Christmas. I think all he wanted was for us to be good to each other and the planet. Is that a gift we can handle?
If not celebrating a birthday, perhaps a pagan pre-Christmas winter solstice celebration is more to your liking. There are several from which to choose.
For festivities like Saturnalia or Yule you don't need to go shopping at all. You just need a bonfire and/or a log to burn in the hearth. Family, friends and feasting are good too, as are singing and dancing together.
Regardless of how you choose to celebrate - love, forgiveness, peace, and new beginnings are what we need to keep in mind. Not things. Or stuff. Or crap.
Happy Buy Nothing Xmas.
Have just been shopping...for food...we, family and neighbours will do the feasting! No plastic c..p here! Happy, Happy Christmas to you and Linda!
ReplyDeleteWell, this year we are treating ourselves to a few days away as last Christmas was spent dealing with my Dad's final illness. But not sure we will do this next year. I have found far more pleasure in being able to donate money to various charities and to people who need it. That has bought me far more joy than I realised it would do. We stopped present exchanges with family some years ago and it has been so lovely to opt out of the Christmas frenzy! When we have been in our local town recently we have felt very superior! Fortunately I am married to a man who is also not a lover of Christmas so we are making a pact to ignore it pretty much in the future. It has taken some years but we are getting there. I hope you both have a lovely real Christmas doing things that mean a lot to you, and a happy, healthy 2015 to you both. Frances.
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