Is "The Big American Christmas" Disappearing?

Recent polls reveal that a huge percentage of Americans will be spending less this Christmas, and more Americans than ever are choosing not to celebrate Christmas at all. Is this the beginning of the end for "the Big American Christmas"?:

themoralcollapseofamerica.blogspot.com...

What do you all think?

reply to post by MandM


No.

The amount of money spent on Christmas has been declining for many years now.

It only goes to reason that in the economic situation we are currently in, that the trend would continue.

I don't know that there would be too many people completely skipping Christmas because of it though. That seems a little extreme.

After all, Christmas really isn't about the presents.

We're skipping Christmas buying this year, and I know a number of other families that are doing the same. One is planning a family vacation next summer in lieu of presents, "after the economy comes back".

reply to post by md11forever


Im 16 and this Christmas i have grown up a bit tbh i used to want this and that but now i want to celebrate christmas for what it really is.

im dont want my parents spending money on me just so i can get bored of it in a few weeks

A lot of it has to do with what people are cutting back on for Christmas shopping too.

Stores like American Eagle and Abercrombie and Fitch are seeing dramatic sales decreases.

On the other hand, Walmart saw a 10% sales increase last month due to holiday shopping.

People are just spending more wisely now.

Perhaps it's more along the lines of people realizing the holidays are for getting together with loved ones, and not about gifts at all.
I would prefer a big turkey dinner with all my kids around me and the man I love, than the most expensive gift you can think of.
I can't put a price tag on that, I can't wrap it up in a bow. And..I don't need to.

Every single year the MSM have told us, for the past 20 years, that this would be the year that the big American Christmas would end.

Then, after the holidays, the AP would release reports from "shocked" experts that sales were "higher than expected."

It happens every year like clockwork. Its part of the mass media strategy to convince people that things are horrible.

reply to post by MandM


Let's hope so. For all the spirit left in it, we may as well say Merry Commerce these days instead of Merry Christmas.

Oh what the heck, let's go kill a tree and decorate it with cheap baubles from China and give presents made by children is sweat shops...it's what Jesus would do.

In my part of the UK ( Scotland ) my friends are beginning to suffer financially with the economic downturn, and are giving their friends and family more individually targeted presents to their needs. These might consist of a new frying pan and stew pot, rather than the stupid overpriced perfumes of previous years. A fry/pot for Christmas is IMHO more useful than perfume if everything does go down the tube.

This year is definitely going to be different for the holidays. I pretty much can't spend jack shi*et on presents and I know most of my friends and family probably won't either just because of the cost of school, food, and living in general. But, like someone said earlier it's not about the presents...(it's about the eggnog! )

"Is "The Big American Christmas" Disappearing?"

No "The Big American Saturnalia" is the same as it was 5000 years ago.
Sure people might spend a little less Luciferian money but spending any is considered a good worship of Saturn.

reply to post by kosmicjack


That made me laugh. But I am one of those people who uses a pre-lit fake tree (which was probably made in China).

Even though I am an atheist I still love the holidays. I love the spirit of goodwill to all, and all of the get togethers, good food, visits with friends and family- especially those you don't get to see all the time- and just the good mood people are in most of the time.

The detraction and the old joke is how people get so stressed out about shopping, and how they sometimes act in stores. A less commercial and less materialistic holiday is welcome in my opinion. I know it won't be good for the retail economy, but the economy is already in tubes so who cares. Maybe if I had kids I would feel differently, I don't know.

Oh and semidiablam- it is also all about the eggnog.

Am I the only person on ATS honest enough to admit that I actually enjoy giving & recieving gifts on Christmas? Call it materialism if you want, but even at the age of 32, I really look forward to spending Christmas afternoon playing with my new toys and watching my wife & my kids enjoying their gifts as well.

I sit down and enjoy dinner with them every night of the week. I have a very small family, (or at least a family with far too much distance between us for them to visit on the holidays). My wife is in the same boat. Having a nice dinner with the fam is great, but like I said, it's a common enough occurrence to not be that big of a deal to me. (We're actually one of those old fashioned, everyone sits at the dinner table, TV is turned off, conversations happen over the evening meal everyday families.)

reply to post by MandM


Could've fooled me, given the amount of Christmas commercials that have been running since Halloween.

reply to post by burdman30ott6


Don't worry, there are still a few old school holdouts that actually see Christmas as a chance to get together with family and enjoy the holidays.
Iconoclastic disdain is fashionable but not very much fun.

reply to post by burdman30ott6


No I think it is fair to say that I enjoy gifts as well. And I am 33. And if I had kids and could afford it I would spoil them too- to a point. But I think it is the amount of the gifts and type of gifts (as in price) that some people find hard to keep up with. For example, some people might have to buy their kids less expensive toys this year, and fewer of them. But they will still have stuff to open and play with. And maybe instead of the newest video game it will be a cheaper board game, or more handmade items. (I like to call them "old-timey.")

Life is all about balance for me. And it seems to have gotten worse over the years with the Black Friday sales, stores opening at 5am, and decorations that are in stores the day after Halloween. I see them and think can we at least get to Thanksgiving? Do we need decorations in early November for a holiday in the end of December? It's the excess materialism of it all that I find tiresome.

You have old-timey dinners? That is awesome. I did too. And Sunday is still dinner with Mom for me. Sunday was family day when I was growing up. My dad passed, so Mom and I still carry on the tradition.

Originally posted by md11forever
We're skipping Christmas buying this year, and I know a number of other families that are doing the same. One is planning a family vacation next summer in lieu of presents, "after the economy comes back".

that's a wicked funny joke your friend told you, about what their family is doing.


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I hope it* does disappear and I hope it never comes back. By 'it' I mean the materialistic celebration of Christmas in general, all over the world. I'm 40-years-old and, over the years, I've seen Christmas hyped up bigger and bigger every year with people pressured to spend more and more on Christmas every December. Every year I hear about people that are wiped out financially trying to buy more and more presents &c.

The sad/laughable thing is, the actual celebration or enjoyment is never really that much bigger despite more money being spent.

I'm not a Christian but I'd much rather an old-fashioned, less-materialistic, simpler, 'honest' Christmas. If someone wants to celebrate Christmas, do it. Be aware and participate in the actual festival it is meant to represent: instead of just joining the Christmas queues, go to a church; show some goodwill and not just the inside of your purse or wallet; spend quality time with family and friends not just buy a token of how much you care about them.

At my age and having 4 kids Christmas shopping is almost like a conditioned reflex,I like to see the look on kids face when I picked something out for them myself and they really enjoy it,older you get it's the little things that count,and yes I like receiving presents as well,so buisness as usual this year

Originally posted by badgerprints
reply to post by burdman30ott6

 

Don't worry, there are still a few old school holdouts that actually see Christmas as a chance to get together with family and enjoy the holidays.
Iconoclastic disdain is fashionable but not very much fun.

I can get behind your first sentence...I just think things are way over the top now. I have a huge extended family and Christmas is a frenzy of baking, wrapping, get-togethers and WASTE. Just look at the curb on the first garbage day after Christmas.

I just think we need to put more emotion and less money into it.