Gratitude vs. Consumerism.

Okay, here I go. I want to warn you upfront that I just needed a place to rant uninterrupted. I figured cheaper than a therapist would be a blog. Really though, a lot of this blog will be written for me. So do tread carefully. Also don't judge my grammar, for I'm an illiterate swine compared to the most of you.

I would like now to reiterate and adapt The Twighlight Zone intro.

You're about to enter another dimension (or just another blog). A dimension not only of sight (kind of) and sound (not  really, unless you're reading aloud), but of mind (TJ's mind to be exact. Not exactly a place most people would like to be). A wondrous (mildly disturbing) journey into a land (internet site) whose boundaries are that of imagination (the twisted imagination of a argumentative and thoroughly reprobate pre-adult). You're next stop the Twighlight Zone (or my blog).

Now down to the nitty gritty. Christmas, or more specifically, Thanksgiving as it relates to Christmas.



I like Christmas, I really do. Unfortunately my affinity lies buried under layers of malice and a general "bah-humbug" attitude. So if you really love Christmas feel free to leave and to mark down another day in the time standing between you and lots of shiny, neat, and (soon thereafter) neglected wrapping paper.

When does Christmas begin? The answer is the 24th of December. It's a two day Holiday. But let's be honest here; when does Christmas really begin? For those of you who put the day after; and/or, it never ends, then you are correct. Raise your hand if you feel the countdown to Christmas begins the day after Christmas, and that those days in between are just times when we pretend that we aren't constantly enthralled by the idea of more packages.

"But wait TJ", you may be thinking, "Christmas isn't about the gifts." The Grinch pondered at the same thing. "It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags." And so it does. But if we just had a holiday where we just celebrated the Birth of the Savior without presents then Christmas would be more forgotten than Easter.

Now the timing gets me. Christmas is placed a month after the holiday of gratitude. Yet could someone name for me a Thanksgiving song? Christ was actually born around April, which by the way is when I'll be giving you your presents. Christmas was popularized because of a certain Pagan holiday that took place at the same time, and that the church wanted to undermine.

Yet Thanksgiving has become practically absolute. A chance for us to gorge ourselves on turkey before we start in on the Christmas ham. Christmas has become a material holiday and the pinnacle of consumerism.  This holiday of consumerism deteriorates  time, money, and common sense. Saint Nicholas has become a big fat sign of material wealth. Santa Claus is the most used figure in all of advertising across the world. When you see Santa Claus you have been conditioned to have "sugarplums dance through you're heads." How many children can sing all of Jingle Bells, and again how many can recite the tale of Squanto and the Pilgrims. And Thanksgiving night begins the ultimate sign of  greed and ill will to fellow man: Black Friday. A black day indeed. Can't we wait 24 to be grateful for what we have before we trample over everyone else to get a great deal on extra and unneeded Lego sets.

But the crowning achievement of a corrupted Christmas is the Music. Today we were going to sing a hymn for a church meeting and it was suggested we sing a Christmas hymn. This girl whined, "we don't get enough of an opportunity to sing the Christmas music." I countered, "have you ever sung O Savior thou who Wearest a Crown but I don't hear you complaining. We could at least sing Count Your Blessings in preparation for a holiday of thankfulness." "Scrooge," she kindly retorted. I would even argue that it has reached a point where songs like Santa Claus is coming to Town, Deck the Halls, and O Christmas Tree  actually succeed in driving the spirit away. As well as every rock version of what used to be a Christmas hymn. It's almost as bad as Christian Rock (vomit). And I'll be darned if there isn't a performing artist who hasn't come out with his own Christmas Album. But Christmas music starts on the radio the day after Halloween, and worse than that, people actually choose to listen to it. Plus I'd appreciate to listen to real Christmas music like O Come Emmanuel rather than Bruce Springsteen wailing Santa Claus is Coming to Town. 

Christmas has been thoroughly tainted by the world. I love when I go to church and get to hear about the essential nature of the atonement. I love the nativity set that the Timpanogos Temple put up facing the road. I love going to temple square. I love joining up with my relatives to be together. And I love sitting with my family as we sing hymns to rejoice in the birth of Christ. If that was all that happened then Christmas would be my favorite holiday. But please, go out and brave your shopping malls, sacrifice your finances, and check your calender because Christmas indeed is coming.