Has Christmas become too commercialised?
After descending on our retail calendar as if out of nowhere, Black Friday has now firmly wedged itself in and it looks like it’s here to stay.
While there is discounting at many stores, shoppers are only really saving money if they buy items they would have bought anyway. But the concept of Black Friday is designed to create impulse buying. Shoppers are told ‘when it’s gone, it’s gone’ – and there are even countdowns on sale items which helps add to the frenzied feel.
Has the meaning of Christmas gone forever? Is there too much focus on buying gifts and less emphasis on family values?
What are your views on this?
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Unless you spend Christmas with Father Christmas in the North Pole
By Twelfth night and the cutting of the Twelfth Cake, I feel I'm the only one still keeping Old Christmas.
But, the American Black Friday encourages the masses to become very aggresive.....not a good idea.
From this respect, I buy into the commercialism of it. I was, however, truly appalled by the scenes of black Friday. It reminds me more of a scene from dawn of the dead - mindless zombies tearing each other apart for some sub par tat that they don't need or, in reality, even want. This is the ugly side of commercialism, indeed... But that's just sale mob mentality, and does not jade my view of Christmas and my personal love of gift buying.
I abhor the terrible scenes of Black Friday but are they any different from the scenes of Boxing Day sales from previous years and Boxing Day is British not American.
"When you gather around the Christmas tree or stuff goodies into a stocking, you're taking part in traditions that stretch back thousands of years — long before Christianity entered the mix.
Pagan, or non-Christian, traditions show up in this beloved winter holiday, a consequence of early church leaders melding Jesus' nativity celebration with pre-existing midwinter festivals."
I've quoted the above but it is what many believe in so I believe Christmas can be celebrated by the many believers or unbelievers in religion.