very year it seems that the Christmas shopping season begins earlier. Halloween was merely a week ago, yet the Buckland mall in Manchester, Connecticut has a multitude of festive Christmas decorations. Although beautiful, the ornamentation that is characteristic of the Christmas season can become nauseating when it is gaudily displayed more than two months in advance. Seeing people rudely pushing their way from store to store in order to find the best deal is sickening. The holiday that was once rooted in peace and harmony has become a nightmare Freddy Krueger would certainly approve of.
When I asked friends what they thought about the acceleration of the holiday season a majority of them responded apathetically at best. Others were able to substantiate the reason for the mass promotion of the holiday shopping season. They defended many of the retailers by arguing that they are simply doing what is necessary in order to succeed in our capitalist society. Others shot down the heightened advertisement. One person said that many businesses have turned Christmas into a cheap materialistic event that happens every year. What was once sacred and special about the Christian holiday has been exploited. Gifts have always been a part of the celebration, signifying the gifts the three Kings brought to baby Jesus. Now the holiday has been mutated to the point that any relation to the original tradition has been lost. Bigger, better, and more expensive gifts have become the anthem of the day.
Retailers are not the only ones to blame. Consumers motivate retailers found in Buckland and stores throughout America. Every year people expect to receive vast amounts of gifts during this season. Children wake up extra early on Christmas morning in order to see what "Santa" brought them. This is the nucleus of our country's Christmas enigma. Greed and desire have influenced children and a precedent has been set. Every year kids expect more from "Santa Claus." Parents are forced to save vast amounts of money in order to fund their children's' ever growing Christmas lists.
After spending about twenty minutes in the mall it was all too obvious that many people had begun the ritual of Christmas shopping. A group of middle aged women were mingling about the Christmas decorations in Filene's. I did not notice them until I heard a conglomeration of voices participating in a heated and accelerated conversation. After about ten seconds of eavesdropping it was clear that they were hunting for christmas gifts. Unfortunately two of the women had decided on the same item as a potential present for the same lucky individual. Instead of trying an alternative method to solve the problem they resulted in what has become characteristic of many who participate in the sacred act of Christmas shopping, arguing. Neither one of them was willing to back down over that damn New York Giants sweatshirt. One woman rudely told her shopping companion to be the one to give 'him' (lucky fellow) the sweatshirt, she would just find something else to get him as she stormed out of the store. The other woman responded with looks of anger and disgust as she refolded the sweatshirt and brought it to the cash register. Kind of makes you wonder what Christmas is like with their family.
Celebrating Christmas has become one of the most anticipated events of the year, but many people find it to be a time of stress and anxiety. The glorified holiday seems to begin in early November and does not end until the new year. With the commencement of shopping and parties and gatherings there hardly seems to be enough time to catch your breath until you are ready to change the calendar. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all seem like one big holiday to me. This is why so many people love the holiday season. It is also, for this same reason that so many people hate it.
