"So this is Christmas..."

"Happy Christmas" by John Lennon makes me want to cry. I remember, as a child, feeling lucky that my Christmas was not ruined by war and fighting. I was naive. Sadly, that has changed.

War, however, seems distant this holiday season. I have a friend in Iraq, but the lack of in-your-face media coverage makes it seem like he is no further away than college, or the west coast. People all around the world are in constant fear and danger and pain. And all we can do is spend money on gifts, filling stockings with random odds and ends, not because we care, or feel that these gifts will help or please the recipient, but because, as Americans, we must. We, as a whole, have a must-give-many-gifts mentality. Am I a bad person if I do not give a gift to every co-worker, family member, and distant relative. We worry about how much money we spend on each gift, and whether an inexpensive gift will make us look cheap.

Meanwhile, the economy is

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and our bank accounts are draining, and the housing market is falling quickly, and only the filthy rich can afford the gas and oil price increases. BGE claims that they will help individuals use less electricity this holiday season. That is their gift to those of us who have just faced a 50% price hike, and will find another major price increase in our stocking tomorrow. Happy Holidays from the war in Iraq and your friendly, neighborhood gas and electric company.

People line up at stores to buy things like cameras and ipods and xboxes....items that, in a week, will drop in price significantly. We have created our own price hell. Retailers mark it up before Christmas, then put it on sale for the holiday season, and finally, leave the leftovers on a clearance rack for 50% off. Are we blind, or just that determined to give every gift on the 25th?

Why do we need a gift-giving season? is it because, without a reason to give, we cannot treat those close to us with gifts? Is it wrong to hand a 20$ gift card to a coworker in the middle of June for no reason other than the desire to be nice and show appreciation?


Is it all a ploy to make us spend massive amounts of money? Please tell me there is more to this day than the exchange of money. If thats all there is to it, we are lost.


"So this is Christmas,
And what have you done?"