The Irony of it All

Only in America can people gather on Thanksgiving Day around a table laden with food and give thanks for their blessings. The next day they trample people on their way to buy more stuff for people who already have too much.

Black Friday madness officially welcomes the beginning of unbridled consumerism. The National Retailers Association estimates that Americans will spend 942.6 billion dollars on holiday gifts, decorations and food. This shatters last year’s record of 889.3 billion. Despite inflation and concerns about the economy, people are planning to spend and spend big.

As a result, fifty percent of shoppers say they will take on short term debt, including predatory lending such as pay day loans. According to a Nerd Wallet survey, 31% of people have not paid off their holiday spending from last year. The average American household will spend $1455 dollars this season. So important is this brief burst of frenzied shopping that it is used as an economic indicator for the coming year. Supposedly, holiday shopping measures consumer confidence in the economy.  

There is a cost to all this holiday hoo-ha that goes far beyond the credit card bills that roll in during the month of January. For those who tend toward anxiety and depression, seven percent have considered suicide. Constant worry is a problem for fifty-three percent. Another thirty-one percent have difficulty sleeping. Significant percentages of people also stress-buy items they cannot afford, increase their alcohol consumption or experience mood swings. Even for those who do not tend toward anxiety and depression, holiday stress barges in the front door with pressure to buy and bake, entertain and indulge.

The ultimate irony of all this madness is that it is grounded in a tradition surrounding the birth of Jesus. He was a poor Middle Eastern Jew who was homeless and hated for his teachings about the proper use of riches and the need to care for the poor.

It is not known when Jesus was actually born and most of the stories around his birth are myths. That is not to denigrate the stories in any way, but there’s a good chance the stories aren’t factual, but they’re true.  The question to ask about these stories is not, “did it happen exactly this way?” Rather the question is, “what do these stories mean for us today?” What can we learn from being a follower of Jesus rather than one who simply worships the baby during the Christmas season?

Instead of a season of unbridled consumerism, here are some suggestions for alternative celebrations that cut down on the madness, the debt and the hoo-ha.

• Have every family member choose one name. Buy gifts for that person that do not exceed a pre-determined amount of money.
• Teach children that Christmas is not a time to get everything they want, but a time to be concerned about others.
• Use some of the money you save not buying gifts for everyone and give it to a local charity like the food pantry or fuel bank.
• Make a list of all the people for whom you normally buy gifts. Instead of buying them gifts, write a letter to each one telling them what a gift they are in your life.
• Celebrate the season of Advent with an Advent wreath. Making a wreath is part of the fun and you can use whatever materials you like. The traditional wreath is made with greens. I make our wreath with sand and shells in a nod toward our love for the water.
• Mark each week in Advent with the meaning of the candle you light: hope, peace, love and joy. Consider how these qualities manifest in your life.
• Honor National Buy Nothing Day. Instead of joining the madness of Black Friday, stay home and buy nothing. Do a small counter-cultural thing that is closer to the spirit of the season. While you are not shopping, consider what charity or charities you want to support this season.

If you are one that laments that there is no Christ in Christmas, then engage in the activities that make Christ manifest in the world.