The WAL

Christmas is a time of joy for the children in my house, not just because of the gifts piling up under the tree that we don’t have yet (and yes, we’re getting a real tree again this year, anyone who wants to argue the environmental impact of that is welcome to e-mail me about it), although I do have to admit that’s part of it.  There are also a total of three birthdays within two weeks each side of Christmas and this helps, too.  The crowing event, tying the other two together, is that there are several weeks away from school.  I think that this is almost bigger than the fat guy in the red suit.

Personally, I hate the over-commercialization of everything, not just Christmas. Every time you flip the calendar, the retail industry seems to be saying, “Whoo-hoo, it’s time to hall out the credit cards so you can rack up some extra debt by buying crap for all of your friends and family that they don’t need.”  Valentines, Easter, Halloween, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day.  I’m waiting for someone to work out something special for Labour Day or Flag Day.  Yes, I know that there are already sales linked, but not for any real reason or specific merchandise.

Christmas does seem to be the worst.  Aside from specialized Christmas paraphernalia (two sets, depending on whether or not you’re celebrating a religious holiday or not), we’re supposed to by everything at the higher prices we’re not supposed to recognize.  Is there any greater symbol of the blight our culture sometimes is upon the earth?

And yet, the joy the season brings to my children pulls me into the fold of commercialization.  We don’t go overboard and we try to make Christmas about family rather than swag.  But there is some swag.  There will probably always be some swag as long as there are kids in the house, whatever age they happen to be.  And then grandchildren later.  Well, I hope later.  But we have no intention of piling on the debt in the name of keeping the stores open.  There’s plenty of debt to go around already, thank you.

Personally, I think any excuse to make family a bigger focus is a good thing.  Whatever your solstice-approximate holiday of choice happens to be, I hope it’s a joyful one filled with all of the trappings of family and love.

That’s the last thing you’re going to see here about Christmas until next year.  And remember, prices go down on boxing day.  If you need to heat up your credit cards, you’ll get more for your interest rates by waiting until the 26th.