Christmas Marketing Lamentation

What is the deal with Christmas marketing? I've been pondering this question and expressing anger at the audacity of stores and businesses that chose to begin displaying Christmas items for sale in late August.

The recent flap about whether President Bush should have "Merry Christmas" on the presidential holiday greeting cards is, to me, not as big of a deal as is the change in the spirit of what Christmas is, as marketed by everyone trying to sell something!!

So....lets see....we now call the Friday after Thanksgiving "Black Friday"....to me that sounded like it was a bad thing. Come to find out it isn't, it means its the day that businesses/stores FINALLY are out of the red and making a profit for the year. Why? Because nearly every single person in America is buying, buying, buying.....to fill the ever growing maniacal need to get gifts from, well, you name the chain store.

I think it is time to call a boycot of all stores that begin selling Christmas oriented items before Halloween, and certainly those that put stuff out in late August and September (except for the specialty Christmas all-year-round shops). My message to the big merchandisers is: THE MORE YOU PUSH CHRISTMAS SHOPPING, THE LESS LIKELY I AM TO DO IT!

In the last few years, when all this advertising starts hitting the air waves, heck, I start feeling like its an election year. Now think everyone. How many of you loved being bombarded by all the election advertisements? How many of you just loved it when political advertisements started months before the real campaign actually began? Well......I think Christmas marketing is now in that same category. Annoying.

When the TV and radio and newspaper ads...and Internet ads....all are screaming "buy buy buy" (so they get in the black, black, black)....then the true meaning of Christmas has been lost.

So.....ask your self the following questions and see if you are as annoyed as I am:

1. Seeing Christmas trees and decorations and things for sale in stores before Halloween (in fact right next to the Halloween stuff) makes me excited and eager for Christmas?

2. Seeing Christmas/Winter Holiday stuff for sale at the end of the summer makes me get into the nitch of buying presents months in advance?

3. Being bombarded with Christmas ads the minute November begins makes me open my wallet and spend spend spend?

4. Hearing that the Friday after Thanksgiving is "Black Friday", the most profitable day in the business year, makes me get out there and fight crowds for bargains?

5. Watching advertisments and TV shows that glorify the experience of receiving gifts...especially big expensive ones....as meaning a person is loved, and/or socially acceptable....causes me to part with $100 bills to show my loved ones that I care?

As you probably guessed, I answered "no" to my set of questions. Fact is, I'm starting to look at not buying much at all this year. Its time that the gifts we give to our family and friends be those that come from the heart and our own hands. Maybe its the simple act of giving our time. I suspect that giving some cherished time and spending that time with a son, daughter, spouse, friend....is what a good number of American's need. Our lives are so busy that we think the store bought item will make up for lost time.

So.....yes, I am asking you to think about Christmas aka Winter Holiday. Is December 24/25th all about buying stuff....often going in debt to do so.....or spending more than is reasonable....to stack presents under a decorated Christmas tree? Is it all about Santa Claus? Is it all about helping our "consumer economy" create "growth"?

Me? I think it should be about giving from our "heart", our "hands", and our "time". Try to have the smallest bought Christmas present season this year.

S~