Am I A Grinch, or Am I Right?

[KristineS]

I will admit, I'm not a huge fan of the holiday season. There are a lot of reasons why, none of which I want to go into here, but I've never been a big holiday person. That's why I'm wondering if the fact that it bothers me that they started putting out Christmas stuff the day after Halloween makes me a Grinch, or do I have a point?

I mean I get that retailers are concerned this might be a down gift giving year, and I understand they want to maximize shopping days, but I think it's getting a bit ridiculous. It used to be that the Friday after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) was the first official Christmas shopping day. Now it seems like Christmas shopping starts in August.

Does this annoy anyone else, or am I one step away from sitting on my porch in my rocker yelling at kids to get off my lawn?

[billbenson]

Ideally, I'd work the holidays and celebrate in July

[phanio]

I am with you to a point - it is getting earlier and earlier each year. I like the holiday seasons - but not the you have to buy everyone something idea. I like the season as it pertains to festivities and family - not going into debt for the latest and greatest gifts.

For my wife and I - christmas starts the day after christmas - this is when we go out and buy all the stuff on sale - then hold on to it until the following christmas. It is a joke around our house that we are always a season behind - but, it takes the presure off. And, if our family and friends don't like - they don't have to come around.

My problem with the holidays is that the meaning is going out of the season - I am not talking religion or the likes. But, the holidays when I was a kid were always so much fun - being around family and friends and being happy - gifts were always secondary and a bonus.

Now, it seems it is just about gifts or being political. If this is not the christmas season - then what are we celebrating? Just my thoughts.

[cbscreative]

Bahhh, humbug!

Oh, that was Scrooge and not the Grinch, sorry. I generally like the holidays, but my sentiments are much like those above. There is an irrational silliness to much of the gift giving which I would not miss if it were eliminated.

I sometimes think of all the worthless junk that people buy just to fulfill an "obligation" and it's both funny and sad at the same time. The recipient doesn't want the gift, the giver is just doing their "duty" and buying something that will soon end up as landfill, and the retailer is making money off something both parties could live without.

There, that sure sounds Scroogey, doesn't it?

I think there is a lot of obligation and pressure surrounding the holidays. For many people, it can be a very depressing time.

With that said, I mostly like the holidays. I like the family time, the food, the Christmas story, the trees and lights, the music and festivity, and the real spirit that is intended. I even like giving and receiving gifts, but it wouldn't bother me to eliminate that part. I think gift giving should be spontaneous and voluntary throughout the year, not expected just because it's Christmas.

Here's an idea, let's let everyone choose their own date(s) they want to give away gifts so it doesn't have to be on Christmas.

[Business Attorney]

I have to say that while I am a horrible shopper (thank goodness the stores are open on Christmas Eve) I personally know people who make sure that their holiday shopping is completely done before Thanksgiving.

As long as there are people who start their Christmas shopping in early November, the retailers will not want to miss out their chance to be on the early shoppers' radar.

[billbenson]

Christmas is the highest suicide day of the year. Knew a cop who hated working Christmas day because he was always finding somebody dead.

Now, I think I may have just one the Scrooge award.

[nealrm]

What the store are doing has nothing to do with Christmas. I'm not sure what you would call it, maybe x-mas or fake-mas. Christmas is a time to get with family and friends, attend a church service and celebrate with a good meal and some simple gift giving. To many people stress over fake-mas and forget the most import aspects of the season.

[Spider]

I always get a chuckle out of this annual complaint. Which complaint has been expressed as long as I can remember - and that's a few more years than most on this forum can remember!

YOUR Christmas is what YOU make it. if you find Christmas is too much about junky presents, then don't give junky presents and it won't be about junky presents. If you find your Christmas is not about family and friends, then make your Christmas about family and friends. What everyone else is doing has nothing to do with you. Let them celebrate Christmas as they please and you go ahead and celeberate however YOU please.

You have my permission!

[Evan]

The only place that gives the turkey some attention is the supermarket, because it is a profitable holiday for them. For all other stores, after pushing out Halloween, the next dollar sign is for the holiday (Christmas) season.

What baffles me is when you flip through channels in say July, and you get those "Christmas in July" sales on QVC or HSN. That really irks me!

[Steve B]

I'm with you on that Frederick.

I've had my family and friends trained to never give me a gift for the last 20 years. It was the best thing I ever did (O.K. that's a figure of speach, but you get the point). I NEVER have to pretend to like something and I have ZERO pressure to give useless gifts (I only give presents to kids). I also have no guilt about filling up the landfills with all that stuff.

However, I love the holidays and look forward to them each year. Thanksgiving is my favorite because it is so oriented around the family and gift-giving hasn't crept in to commercialize it too much.