This the season to be grumpy

I'm not anti-Christmas. That is, I'm not anti-Christmas as in it being used as a public holiday and for family get-togethers. Having been a life-long atheist I do still feel a little uneasy about using a religious festival as an excuse to 'eat, drink and be merry' - I don't subscribe to the Dawkin's school of belittling believers. I respect one's right to adhere to a belief system of choice. How and when the marketing people turned the birth of Jesus into a reason to put on weight, get pissed and waste lots of money I'm not sure, but they've done a good job in brainwashing us to do so.

When our girls were little ones during the 1990s, we too fell into the consumer trap. We must have spent hours trying to hunt down the most wanted toys (this was pre-Internet) and joined in the obscene overspending on everything from gifts, food, drink, decorations, trees, crackers.... and making sure that we had those extra little things that you cannot do without at Christmas, which ironically still remained unopened and unused in the middle of January.

Back then I used to go out running (it was two stone ago) using the same 2-3 mile route around our hilly streets. In mid-December I would play a game with the girls - to guess the number of houses that would have their Christmas decorations up. We would all commit our estimates to paper and the closest would win a prize (50p... I have always been generous by nature...) This game would not start until mid-December because until then there would be few decorations on show. How times have changed.

Today is December 3rd. I have just walked around my old running route. Every third house is lit up like Santa's grotto. Banstead can be seen from space right tonight! And not only has the putting up of decorations moved forward by a fortnight (is this also down to global warming?) but the increase in the number and size of said decorations is dramatic. When I was a lad it was a big thing if somebody had a tree in their window - now houses are festooned in lights of many colours and flashing sequences. Vast inflatable Father Christmases, Reindeer and Snowmen wobble on lawns, and this year there seems to have been a run on giant candy walking sticks, plunged into lawns to light up the route of front garden paths, like a Willy Wonka wet dream. This year the earliest private dwelling to 'deck the halls' was November 24th. I have seen one as early as 20th. Not that I keep a note of such things...

We could start a whole discussion as to the morality of spending so much money - largely wasteful - when there is so much poverty around the world. Do we really need a dozen lighted candy sticks? But then I have to concede that 20 years ago I would probably have been in a queue to buy them along with everybody else. Needs must, even if we don't need and don't have to.

But now I just look around me and shake my head slowly and sorrowfully at the needless spending, brought on by our inability to turn away from the manipulative advertising of big business. Bah humbug!!

Comments

Dylan Wrathall said…
Best you don't get close to Dumpton Towers - Bev's been watching Christmas movies since August!
Steve Gale said…
Don't tell me Dyl - you've already been fitted out for your red costume and white beard....
Derek Faulkner said…
I've hated Christmas pretty much since I was a teenager, for many of the reasons that you cite. Mostly, like November 5th, it is because of the enormous amount of money ill-spent by people who moan about being hard up for most of the year. I've always tended to do the opposite at Christmas and drink and eat less than I normally do.
Steve Gale said…
Self-control goes out the window. I've been guilty in the past.
I agree with everything you say there Steve. I was as guilty as the next man when our boys were kids, but now the waste despairs me. Worse than that is how Christmas has turned in to a huge commercial driven consumerism nightmare!
I try and celebrate the Solstice more, as this has more meaning, especially to those like us that our connected to the natural world in our daily lives. Never mind how many days there are until Christmas, just think it is only 15 days until the return of the sun and lengthening days! Cheers, Seumus
Steve Gale said…
Seumus, your celebration of the Solstice is shared by me!
GeoffB said…
From this day forth ye shall be known by the moniker Gale the Grinch no longer Phantom ;-) ...agree with every word Steve but then we often do and as Seamus says not long to the Solstice
Steve Gale said…
Geoff - Maybe we should find a holly bush on the solstice and dance around it in celebration of our pagan roots!

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