Is it just me, or are people trying to turn CHRISTmas into credit-cardmas?

As we get into the holiday season, people start hanging their lights, baking their cookies and pop in CD’s of Mannheim Steamroller and generally try to get into the holiday spirit. Lately, however, it seems that stores are selling Christmas rather than celebrating it.

Now, I’m not saying that stores shouldn’t sell Christmas items or anything like that. Stores sell what people want, that’s their job. It would be horrible business sense not to sell Christmas lights and boughs of holly. When something is popular, whether it is the latest trend or if it is a holiday, stores cater to what people will buy. There is nothing wrong with that. I would be the first to say that there would be a riot in my household if Braum’s didn’t sell their seasonal Gingerbread ice-cream.

What I have a problem with is when people spend so much, when people shove aside the reason Christmas is such an important holiday and stores commercialize Christmas to the point that it doesn’t really look like Christmas.

A recent example of this is Black Thursday. Wal-Mart lowered their Black Friday prices a day early in order to tempt people to shop at Wal-Mart instead, and this act encroached on what was supposed to be a holiday to give thanks for what had come to us and what we have. While this wasn’t an example that pertained to Christmas, it is just one of many examples of corporations not respecting the fine line between selling products and making the holidays all about money and themselves.

Another example is the stores that sell Christmas decorations and Santa suits around Halloween. Really?  You could not have waited? What about the commercials that encourage you to spend a little something on yourself? How many commercials do you see that say that Santa supports buying a flat screen versus the amount of ads encouraging you to put a few dollars into a Salvation Army bucket? Clearly Americans have their priorities and reasons for Christmas in order.

All in all, it is getting to the point that people would rather celebrate Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer and Santa than the real reason for the season. Instead of being the college that had to be pressured to remove their Christmas tree ban, maybe we should actually think about why we celebrate Christmas, why we are rejoicing. Then celebrate Christmas instead of buying Christmas without actually thinking about why you are spending or why this time of year is special.

No matter how much I rant in order to attempt to get my point across, Linus said it best when Charlie Brown asked what Christmas was all about:

And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid … And the angel said unto them, “Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings o great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ, the Lord.”

And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men.”

That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.