[desirae]

I've already been classified under the Grinch when it comes to the attitude of the season. People with their chirstmas music, decorations, and seasonal feel of giving, sharing, lalalala...right. Well all those feelings I understand, I once had them, but as I've grown to know what the holidays are really about I've began to realize that holidays have truly lost that feel. It's now about what you can give as much as you can get. Not necessarily in all cases, but I've watched the commercials on the T.V for the past month and I notice that the commercialism is getting more and more extreme each passing year.

I'm as much of a Wal Mart streamline puppet, I've spend entirely to much on gifts for my kids this year. I felt the need to make up for the last year....I suppose. Anyway, the frenzy, the traffic, the overly spent credit cards and dirty looks from the gift hungray mothers scare me! Makes me want to spend the entire season in side away from it all.

Eh, now if I see a big fat man in a red suit coming to my apartment this Christmas I may be likely to spray him with the sink hose...

I'm deciding to make this humorous, well TRYING that is, for myself mostly.

[Rapunzel]

It somehow doesn't seem quite real, does it? I'd rather spread it out over more of the year. I love Christmas music, but it bugs me that all we get on the radio is Christmas music from Thanksgiving until Christmas, and then abruptly it all stops. (Our radio station never is very good at mixing their music, but that's another story). And the gifts are a lot all at once, and it's overkill, and then it's all gone. And people are nice to each other just for a while, but if they really meant it they would always be nice, wouldn't they?

So, Christmas is a good thing, but I don't think it needs to be all at once, and then go poof. And I wish that it weren't so much about the material things. That just so isn't the point.

For Christmas this year my family is getting a house where we can all be together (DH has been commuting home on weekends since July). Since we're moving in on the 22nd, we won't have a lot of time for shopping. And that's okay.

Rap

[bflatgary]

I have always thought that Christmas is too commercial. It has gotten to the point that it teaches our children to be very, very materialistic. And it gets more so with each passing generation.

How do I deal with it? I get into a "giving mood". My daughter is 26, so we don't have to buy toys anymore. We have no grandchildren to buy toys for, either. But we still buy them, and we donate them to Toys For Tots. It doesn't cost a lot of money. We also donate food and time to the local homeless center. As depressed as I get, I at least have food, clothing and shelter.

This year my Kiwanis Club has sponsored a new club, an Aktion Club. This club is for developmentally disabled adults who want to give back to the community. This evening I chaperoned them to our local mall, where they did some Christmas caroling. they had a wonderful time, and their enthusiasm and spirit rubbed off on many of the people who were there. It certainly rubs off on me, and that is something that I really need.

The best way to lift our spirits is to help others lift their spirits.

[(JD)]

I know I have a lot to say on this subject, don't think I'm avoiding ya, but the brain fog has set in tonight

[Wants2Fly]

I don't think you are grinchy at all. This year I've noticed more ads than ever before where the gift is a car.

A car!!?

President Bush was on TV today telling us all to do more shopping, to keep it up! To me, this is just wrong, for the president to be shopper-in-chief. I used to be happy with a new doll and a flannel nightie. Now people want expensive electronics and diamonds.

Then there was the brouhaha in an airport where a rabbi asked for a menorah, so the airport took all the Christmas trees down -- then put them back up when the rabbi backed down from a lawsuit.

I think we shoud take all the trees out of the airports and auto show rooms and put Christmas back in our livingrooms and places of worship.

Around here, when the snowbirds double the population, people get really mean over snagging parking spots as they do their holiday shopping, too.

So don't get me started. I'll see your grinch and raise you two scrooges.

I enjoy some of the holiday music, but I don't listen more than I want to. And it's nice when charitable organizations reach out to people in need. So I guess that's the upside.

[(JD)]

<font color="green">Ok... don't kill the messenger ( like they did way back) but... (and you all already know I'm eccentric..)

BUT I thank GOD for commercialism of Christmas.

Before 1840 the celebration of Christmas was only a small personal one. Churches didn't sing in service, there was no massive celebration.

Then, Santa came along... and to counteract or combine his message, the church began singing hymns of Christ's birth and so on and so forth.

Because of the commercialization of Christmas, it is now a recognized holiday AROUND THE WORLD, not just in the USA.

We Christians now have about 6 weeks to publickly, actively, and with neighborly consent, witness to the world about the coming of our Savior, the Son of God!!!

Yes, there are many who celebrate who are not Christians, but that does not detract from MY celebration.

Yes, gifts are given... and even those who do not know Christ, are mimicking what GOD did for all: gave us the GIFT of His Son, Jesus Christ that all might know salvation. We all exchange gifts because of the greatest gift given by the greatest Giver. While only 3 billion dollars is spent on Halloween, and $12.5 billion on Mother's day... $200 billion is spent in celebrating MY Savior's birth. HOW KEWL IS THAT???

John 3:16 For GOD so loved the world that HE GAVE His only Son that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Ephesians 2:8... it is the gift of God.

If only everyone would RECEIVE this unspeakable Gift!

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