Christmas, October 1

This has been bugging me for awhile, maybe you can shed some bug spray on the matter for me… I’m sure a decade ago Christmas decorations went up in December, or am I mistaken? Then I recall last year a shockingly early display of festivities, and this year, true as tax, first of October arrives; I walk into a mall, and there are Christmas decorations up, and Christmas goodies for sale…
OCTOBER THE FIRST, not even the twenty-fifth!

When did the birth of Jesus 2012 years ago, on the guestimated date of 25 Dec, become a worldwide sales, marketing and money-making plan? That begins 3 months before the date itself. How many people in the world send out emails, put up posters and advertise 3 months before their birthday to say: "Right everyone, you need to start stocking up for my birthday and you need to buy everyone you know presents; but please don’t forget to avoid and ignore me on my birthday and throughout your shopping time, and the eventual gift-giving time. Of course I’m dead, and you don’t believe in me, so it’s a really great thing that you are part of the festivities. Oh, and, even though the day is named after me, ‘Christ’mas, it’s ok that you don’t have my face or my story visible while you are doing your shopping and getting yourselves into debt"?

In a time when the debt crisis around the world is frightening, when people are at war, when every city in the world has beggars, homeless and unemployment problems… why are we encouraging people to spend more on unnecessary things?

I asked the guy at the till point how come the plastic bags were already branded for Christmas, a man who did not appear to be of the Christian faith, and his response was: "we have to get our marketing in early."

When did the 25th December stop being about a baby in a manger, with the alignment of Mars and Venus in the sky, and become about ‘marketing early’? When did a day about birth and being a family, sticking together, even if it meant sleeping in a stable, become about charging the highest airfares because its ‘in season’? When did the birth of one of the greatest role models to ever walk the planet, the birth of the man who literally changed the beginning of our time to begin at year 0, become about ‘getting in there three months early’?

I simply cannot fathom why humanity has let consumerism swallow the truth, peace, beauty and awesomeness of the birth of Jesus Christ. Last year when I went caroling with my church group, at one of our local all women old age homes, some of the aged mothers and aunts had not seen any of their family in years… with nothing left but a wait for death, abandoned by those they spent their youth, money and efforts on, Christmas had taken on a different meaning… their tears were heart-wrenching and those abandoned and bed-ridden, their position was soul destroying… at least they can’t get up to see that Christmas begins with spending money in October.