The Downside of Christmas

I am constantly annoyed by holiday ads. The TV commercials that tell us that we need to purchase several expensive and extravagant items in order to show our loved ones that we love them. Now, as much as I hate that we have it drilled into us that the more expensive the gift, the better, I do get that retailers are trying to sell their crap and are just doing what they can to make it happen.

However, today is the day after Christmas and now all the commercials have changed. Now, they are informing us that their store is having great sales so you can "get what you really want". So, they brainwashed us into purchasing too much at too high a cost and now they are going to insult us for what we purchased?

When did Christmas become so much about the gifts? I hear it all the time, "I have to get something for this person, because they got something for me" or "I'm not getting something for that person, because they didn't get me anything." There is talk of price limits and who is giving to whom and frankly I think it stinks!

Christmas is supposed to be celebrating the day that a great man was born. Christmas is about family and food and magic and love. Christmas is about giving a gift to someone you love to show them how much they mean to you.

Christmas is not about outdoing last year, spending yourself into the ground or about how much you spent over what someone else spent. I hate watching TV and hearing all the retailers tell us that women have to have jewelry and men need a TV or new car and kids need video game systems and cell phones and everything else at the store. Now, on top of all that, they are telling us to do more shopping because, we couldn't possibly have gotten what we really wanted.

I will post soon about my personal and Smug-Baby's first Christmas (as soon as I get my pictures downloaded), but for right now, go hug the people you love and don't go shopping!! It's Christmas - spend you time, not your money :)