Why are the holidays about vacations and spending?

Dave from MN · Nov 30, 2008

Rather than just enjoying and celebrating the reason we have them? It's crazy what we have been conditioned to expect during the holidays. Darn right sad.

730 virgil · Nov 30, 2008

yea and some guy trying to make a buck got ran over and killed by a bunch of crazy people wanting to be first to get that something special.

Bob · Nov 30, 2008

"Why are the holidays about vacations and spending?"

'Cause it's no longer "PC" to devote time to the real meaning of CHRISTmas.

rrlund · Nov 30, 2008

Got that right Dave. I feel more alienated from the city/suburban world more everyday. Gangs of animals all thinking alike. Me-me-me.

TripleRange · Nov 30, 2008

Because we listen to our wives too much and buy them crap to stop their complaining? ;-)

At least...that's the way it seems to me.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 30, 2008

I believe people have got to the point of thinking "Well she got me an expensive gift so she really must love me" kind of mentality.

Putting money in front of what really counts.

I fight it tooth and nail every year, trying to change the world one boy at a time.

There but by the grace of God go I.

rusty machinist · Nov 30, 2008

I tell ya right now the True meaning of Christmas is just about recked with the Malls, Commercials of buy this and that.
Has anyone here ever supported a family for Christmas? I dont mean putting in a $20 bill to help the Smith or Jones family but where someone actually gave $500 to a family with kids to buy a Christmas tree, Christmas presents and some good food for a few days. I would really like to do this for a family that needed it---I am not talking about some welfare losers that dont work I am talking about someone who lost their job and times are tough. I may do this for a friend if he is out of work much longer, he has 4 boys, ages, 3-5-7-10.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 30, 2008

only if YOU let it happen.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 30, 2008

...talked it over with the family ...this year we're exchanging phone calls and Christmas cards!

Anonymous-0 · Nov 30, 2008

I won"t use my regular "handle".........I guess the closest we"ve come was last year about the 20th of December. There"s a decrepit house trailer about a half mile down the road; when I"d go by, there were 3 pre-school age kids always playing in the yard.........regardless of temperature. Lady who lived there....with MAYBE.....disabled husband called my wife and said their "lights" were going to be cut off the next day if they didn"t pay their bill and asked if we could help. There are numerous organizations in the county which provide help and my wife named off several.....asking if they"d been contacted. Lady knew every one; said none could help. Everything in the house was electric; heat, cooking, etc. I went to the local REA office the next day and paid the bill. Office personnel knew all about her and weren"t particularly sympathetic to her plight; talked about how she smoked.......in the non-smoking office, etc. The cut-off date had already been pushed by several days; anyway.......we paid the $180, because we couldn"t stand the thought of the kids in a cold house at Christmas. Told the REA folks they were NOT to tell who paid the bill, cause we figured we"d get hit up again the next month..........

BillinCentralMO · Nov 30, 2008

It took me many years to realize that a truly great Christmas ... is when you get a new Gun !!!

Anonymous-0 · Nov 30, 2008

Even the 4th of July, few kids have a clue. I've been odd ever since...well ever since.. OK I was born that way OK. At age ten I asked if we could make it a policy to hand make every gift so It would have some meaning. I think greed is the big one here as said before.

I don't have $500.00 to set a family up, but I do some private helping all year long to some one that has had bad luck. I wore those shoes for a while, and to proud to ask for help.

I'm so blessed to live in a small town in the mid west. I always knew I would have basic food and shelter, that is a comfort indeed.

While making funeral arrangments for my father I asked mom to see the big picture and keep it as cheap as possible. (Funeral directors are indeed good salemen) Then take the differance in price and place a envelope between a door and screen x-mas eve if she wanted to give dad his type of send off.

I do maintain giving can be as simple as removing snow for a elderly person free of charge, raking their lawn etc.

So in conclusion, I think we should all feel sorry for those who do not understand what a true good feeling is all about.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 30, 2008

we stopped spending money on things about 10 years age. we have 11 grand kids and they get nothing but our love and are better off for it. wife and i buy what we want when we need it and spend time together thats what really matters. we have been from coast to coast on the motorcycle and that was the best gift we could get. people are to wrapped up in material things. give someone a huge and tell them you love them it cost nothing but mean a lot

rusty machinist · Nov 30, 2008

That was nice of you. I do understand that some folks are born screwups. The lady smokes at $5/pack but cant put clothes on the kids or pay the light bill^^^^^^^^^^^Real Sad.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 30, 2008

Since we don't believe in Christmas, and follow what the Bible teaches, we treat December 25th as just another day. Since we only go to the "Big City" once a month to grocery shop, we arrange it so we miss all the loonies out spending money that they don't have.

Jim H SW-PA · Nov 30, 2008

I wish all men could be like you and the world would be a better place.

I believe the same as you, to help others in need, I personally have been doing this for a man this past year.

Problem is he has been somewhat dependent,on us for most of his transportation, and some of his meals, especially towards the end of the month.

He is at times a good helper when I need him to do, or help me do something and wont accept a cash payment.

He has no cash income other than hauling junk.
[that someone else has to haul for him.]

He hauls out downed trees from the woods to heat his trailer, that by the way he ran out of firewood last winter and used all the paneling and walls to heat with while he was sick. [ This is the point I met him for the first time]

I should let him go but now I feel responsible for his welfare because he has no family, or transportation.

Sorry for making this topic into a "Dear Abby" but what would you do?

paul · Nov 30, 2008

Man, you folks are really going to screw up this ecconomy, make it bad for everyone! Don't you know the reason the whole country is going to heck is because credit has dried up & people have stopped spending???? We need to get out there & buy all the cheap plastic things we can with all the plastic in our pocket, so everyone can be happy again.

Said _very_ tounge in cheek.......

Good posts, everyone.

--->Paul

teddy52food · Nov 30, 2008

Sign in a store window. HO HO HO BRING US YOUR DOUGH!

Coffee Helps · Nov 30, 2008

You're so right. There are so many distractions around Christmas one really has to pause now & then & consider why it is celebrated. I solved the materialism aspect of this time of year by mostly just giving calendars: a gardening calendar to my Sister, a dog calendar to my Father & a tractor calendar to myself

Eric SEI · Nov 30, 2008

I read one time about how the royal family of England exchange gifts at Christmas. They are all very rich, the value of a gift means nothing to them. So it is gifts like a throw rug that matches the curtains in a certain room. The important thing is the selecting of something for that person.

That is how I have approached Christmas gifts for years. Everybody I buy for buys whatever they want anyway, so the challenge is to find something they would like that they didn't know about. It shows you know them and cared. I usually kept it to under $20 per person. This year we are doing an exchange where everyone brings one package and there will be a drawing, cost of $20-$25. I am going to miss picking stuff out this year.

Vacations? I have never spent Christmas anywhere but with family, once or twice in Kansas, the rest of my life in Indiana or across the state line at my sister's in Ohio. I can't really imagine going someplace on vacation instead.

aFORDable · Nov 30, 2008

My wife and I decided last year that we wouldn"t give the usual gifts which nobody in the family really needed or probably wanted. Instead we gave a promise of doing some chore for family members instead. We decided what each would like and then "gave" them the promise at Christmas. Examples are - x # of free car washes, baby sitting, window washing, yard mowings, etc. It felt good when we did the chores and our family appreciated them more than the usual. They all hoped we drew their names for this year. (Oh, by the way, it is a large family and we draw names to keep from spending big bucks). You don"t have to spend big money to have a happy Christmas.

Prez B O · Dec 1, 2008

Because the American population at large is a sucker for a sales pitch.I got elected didn't I?
4 Years of Payback Suckers!!!!!!!!!!!

bruster · Dec 1, 2008

How true!
A Wal-Mart employee got trampled a few days ago, trying to unlock the store doors!

It's not a generation that was for "me"
People don't give or think of any but themselves, but that goes with the society of run wild capitalists we have created (and support)

parrothead · Dec 1, 2008

I've never repoed a vehicle that didn't have an ashtray full of cigarette butts.

Why are the holidays about vacations and spending?

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