I think Christmas has its positives.
Nor do I disagree with this, but I'll get to the but a bit later.
For most people, it's time off work to spend with your family. It's rare for people to have any free time, most people can only make a few full days where they don't have to do anything at all.
Which is another offshoot of...commercialism? No, but really, that is the reason people don't have time for the people in their lives. Please see vicious cycle:
1. Ya gotta git a job to get paid so ya can buy da stuff.
2. Due to the demands of dat job and the standards set by businesses of today, you don't have any time for family.
3. Because you don't have time fo family, the only time you get off is the preapproved by big business commercial holidays.*
4. Because you don't have time off, da only way to express your love in a semi genuine fashion, is to buy your family ****.
5. Because you buy your family ****, ya need a job, sucka.
*Please note, that getting time off during holidays is as the kids are saying these days, a
In fact, most of the working, grunt class will not get the holidays off to be with their family. I know until my junior year of college and from the age of 15, I worked every single Christmas, Christmas Eve, and holiday in the books and didn't get to see my family until the time I usually did (night). And I was just a thirty hour part-time working stiff. The full timers were in an even worse boat. And if you're wondering what I did all the time, I was either a cashier or a sales associate selling overpriced gifts to people in the above card.
So, everyone in the family lines up their "do literally nothing" days together. It's not every day someone can fly thousands of kilometers for example; it's expensive. So people choose to do that for Christmas because they know everyone will be doing it. It's nice to have a day like that.
I do not mean this as an insult, but you sound upper-middle class af. I know many people who will not fly home for Christmas because it isn't in the budget and won't be for a very long time. Not everyone is doing the thing you think they are. And the reason they cannot is the above five step system except with the addition of moving away from their support system so that they can get the job.
It's nice to have a day like that.
Yes, it is. And please keep in mind, the reason all my coworkers and boss will get to have these few days this year, is because I'm covering the phones, hospitals, and house. Otherwise, we'd be having our Christmas at work. And I'm working a job you can only get with a university degree and so are they. I'm not in gruntalicious land anymore and I still don't have the holidays off because someone cannot.
But I will say for Christmas last year, while it did cost money, my brother and I got a very thoughtful gift for my dad and I think it was very special for him.
I was being genuine when I said stuff like this is very lovely. It also reeks of the victory of commercialism that objects are how we express thoughtfulness and love.
Objects are what we as humans use to occupy most of our time, it just so happens that objects cost money. I would love to have given my dad that gift which brought back many great memories for free, but it's impossible.
I don't think just money is the key problem, honestly. It's the objects at all. The objects probably made with the blood of Taiwanese children and suicides of Chinese workers. It is an impersonal object being given personality by the givers. It's a conduit for their feelings to be expressed, rather than in and of itself being an expression. I realize it isn't very fun-spirited, but there is something fundamentally awful seeming about that.
Buying things like Starbucks gift cards to me, while I do it because of the social obligation, really does seem like just that: an obligatory present with very little thought put into it.
Yes, and truly with no condescension involved, what does that say about you and society, that there is an obligation to give **** to people you don't like because merry christmas? Because to me, that also tarnishes the heartfelt gifts. If you're giving gifts to everyone, then the only thing that's different is your inner feelings and efforts. Which are great no doubt. But honestly, that implies you're also obligated to give gifts to those you really like. Certainly, you enjoy doing so, but you are obligated.
