The article “The Patron Saint of Capitalism” really encompasses the spirit of Christmas and my exact sentiments surrounding the holiday. It is a stressful holiday for many families and store workers. People wait in lines for hours to be the first in the store as it opens to fight or the limited sale items. Shoppers and store workers have been hurt physically in the process. I used to think the spirit of Christmas was about family and giving and kindness, I don’t see that reflected anymore in mainstream.
The song “Santa Clause, Do you ever come to the ghetto?” accurately describes what many children question come Christmas time and the gifts under the tree are lacking or their gifts aren’t that new $500 game system they wanted. Many parents, me included, go into debt to buy junk to wrap and put under the tree.
- 32 percent of Americans use credit cards to fund Christmas.
- 1 in 3 Americans say they overspend at Christmas.
One in ten people return their gifts. Nearly 90 billion dollars worth of gifts are returned after Christmas.
Danelle
Danni, you’re right about the hectic nature of Christmas nowadays. It’s sad to see the holiday lose some of its warmth and meaning in the rush of shopping and sales. For me, I still use this time to focus on being with my family. It’s a chance to step away from the chaos and truly appreciate the togetherness and connection that the holiday season is supposed to be about. It really does seem like a marketing scheme rather than family time is society though.
Danni Reuter
Hey Danielle, I wish I had family out here because I would definitely spend time with them. I think that might rekindle some of the spirit for me but sadly everyone lives far away.
Devin Gittlein
I think you highlighted some really important points in your blog this week. The holiday season doesn’t reflect the values it should anymore, as you said. It can get very out of hand in situations where aggressive shoppers harm others and people go into debt. I liked all the visuals you included in your blog and they added a lot to your message.