Christmas in other countries...

[LonelyDragon]

I was curious. Over here in the US Christmas has become more about buying and retailers making record profits. It seems like the biggest events of the holidays are centered around making sales, hence our "Black Friday" day after Thanksgiving sales making headlines every year for as long as I can remember. Is this the case in other countries? Or have y'all managed to maintain the true meaning of the holiday?

 

[Caesium]

I was curious. Over here in the US Christmas has become more about buying and retailers making record profits. It seems like the biggest events of the holidays are centered around making sales, hence our "Black Friday" day after Thanksgiving sales making headlines every year for as long as I can remember. Is this the case in other countries? Or have y'all managed to maintain the true meaning of the holiday?

It's just as bad in England. Continental Europe doesn't fair much better.

 

[Porman]

Im from aus, tho I cannot speak for the entire population, But for me christmas is just about getting the family together. We dont go over the top in gifts, but where not the richest family lol

 

[Caesium]

Take a look at this:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local...worker_dies_at_long_island_walmart_after.html

A Wal-Mart worker died after being trampled when hundreds of shoppers smashed through the doors of a Long Island store Friday morning, police and witnesses said.

The 34-year-old employee, a temporary maintenance worker, tried to hold back the unruly crowds just after the Valley Stream store opened at 5 a.m.

Witnesses said the surging throngs of shoppers knocked the man down. He fell and was stepped on. As he gasped for air, shoppers ran over and around him.

"He was bum-rushed by 200 people," said Jimmy Overby, 43, a co-worker. "They took the doors off the hinges. He was trampled and killed in front of me. They took me down too...I literally had to fight people off my back."

A 28-year-old pregnant woman was knocked to the floor during the mad rush. She was hospitalized for observation, police said. Early witness accounts that the woman suffered a miscarriage were unfounded, police said.

Consumerism gone mad. "BUY BUY BUY!! AND THEN BUY SOME MORE!! RAAWWR GIVE ME THOSE PRODUCTS!!! RAWR I WILL SPEND MONEY THAN I HAVE LOL!!!"

******* animals. They ought to be slaughtered like the turkeys they were buying.

 

[Minus]

Take a look at this:
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local...worker_dies_at_long_island_walmart_after.html

There is generally a number of nasty stories around this time of year when mobs of people are drawn together to shop. I imagine it is part herd behavior and part greed.

 

[Unacceptance]

They need to start hiring riot police for these type of things.

 

[LonelyDragon]

They need to start hiring riot police for these type of things.

I know. A Walmart employee in New York was trampled to death when he unlocked the doors this morning. A couple other people including a pregnant woman were injured at the same time.

 

[Bluey]

Just ridiculous. I would never stand in a que so long. spending money to do that? I mean WTF? ppl are weird.

 

[Antihero]

Haha, as an agnostic it actually makes me feel a little better celebrating Christmas now that it has ventured away from it's strict Christian meanings and into more secular albeit unfortunately consumerist grounds

Lest we forget the 25th of December was originally a pagan holiday celebrating what they perceived as the sun beginning it's journey back north after the solstice. The early church set Christmas at that date in hopes of wiping out that celebration and gaining European converts.

 

[Gothmother]

I loath the build up to xmas in the UK as the adverts start around the end of August beggining of September and the kids (mine included)all want everything they see(not that they do as i refuse to get into any sort of debt for that).
Good thing is, Being a Pagan, I have Yule first, then on the 25th my kids have a traditional xmas.
Normaly we go to the National Trust woods near where we live and get some pine cones, and then my kids decorate them with glitter and hang them on the trees in my garden to attract the fairies, and I leave small pouches on the xmas tree for my 3 kids with something silver inside from the Yule Fairy.
Although my kids and hubby arent pagan , they do respect what it means to me and they do make it very speical so that we all enjoy it and have some good quaility family time.

 

[Minus]

I see even this Yule Fairy thing even isn't immune from someone trying to make a dollar. With a quick look i see people hawking Yule Fairy cards and mugs to Yule Fairy dolls and T-Shirts.

 

[Arnaert]

Its the same in every country even in the non-christian nations, they just want gifts. I think the only place where the true meaning is remembered is in poorer countries

 

[Vacuo]

In Canada we sacrifice a small human. Eat their intestines. Not much different from thanksgiving or easter.