it's begining to look like Christmas (Christmas and Commercialisation)

Member Name: hendjam

Product:	Christmas and Commercialisation
Date:	09/12/01 (22 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: you get into the Christmas mood early

Disadvantages: You may get "out of the mood" early (before Dec 25th) too

That's the way it seems in American. That's fine, but in the "recent" (20?) years, it seem that the "Christmas season" starts earlier each year.

It wasn't that long ago, when the Thanksgiving parade (last Thursday in November)was the "start of the Christmas season", with Santa at the end of the parade. The next day, Santa would "arrive" at all of the malls. And somehow, as if "over night", the stores all were decorated for Christmas.

Now, I've seen Christmas decorations before Halloween (Oct. 31). It is really odd to take our boys "Trick or Treating" (an American tradition, Kids get dressed up in costumes and go door-to-door (or store-to-store) for candy)in the malls with the stories decorated for Christmas. And the stores play Christmas music in October (sometimes the radios too). Sometimes, by the time Christmas is actually here, you're almost SICK of the Christmas Music.

And let's not forget about the TV commerical aids that tell you that THEIR product "is the PERFECT gift for everyone in your family". And maybe it is, if "everyone in your family" HAS a DVD or CD player, VCR, a computer or goes camping or on picnics, traveling, etc. Or maybe they simply aren't interested in that. And "least" of all, if YOU can afford one let alone "one for everyone in your family".

I feel that there can and should be a balance between the religious side of Christmas and the other aspects of the holiday and season. The two can compliment each other very way. The season is about love and giving, right? When my children asked if I believed in Santa (when they DO believe in Santa. Not the guy in the red suit that jumps down chimneys and flies across the sky with reindeers, but the SPIRIT of Santa; the Spirit of love and giving. I just don't think that the commerial aspects of it IS within the spirit of love
and giving. That's in the "spirit" of "making more money". And while I personally LOVE all the decorations and music, I then even too much of a GOOD thing is still too much. Too much of it takes away from the joy and magical aspect of Christmas

I can remember when I was a teenager the radio announcer said that "every year the radios have a race to see who would play the first Christmas song of the season. So this announcer did, in JULY! At that time it was as a joke (the announcer was always pulling jokes like this), but now I don't think it would be one. As things are going now, it may be that we'll be hearing Christmas music in July (and not for the "Christmas in July" program we have here (to help the needy)).

I think the ONLY Christmas things that should be in stories before November is craft items (as you need time to do the craft). And the only Christmas music that should be heard is for when musicians are rehearing the songs for a concert.

Summary: