December 2010: Has Christmas become too commercialised?

No

It's that time of year again when we eat, drink and be merry and in some cases, spend more than we can afford. This jovial season usually comes with a stark warning from the sort of people who run institutions that have more money and liquid wealth than a whole country of Christmas shoppers could hope to spend in a single lifetime. They warn us that Christmas is being attacked by the impious secularists (all Richard Dawkins' fault of course, the scoundrel), transformed by the PC brigade into "Winterval" in order not to offend "The Muslims" and oppressed by anti-Christian hate-mongers who apparently feel offended at carol singers and nativity scenes.

The biggest tonguelashing though is reserved for "rampant commercialism", the notion that there is too much focus on what we spend on ourselves and on each other and not on those that need it. Of course, there is always something to be said for not living beyond our means, and the economic problems of the last two years have certainly shown the dangers of spending too much.

There are two issues here. First is the bizarre notion that we are focussed on indulgence and not on charitable giving. This is absolute nonsense with no basis in reality. Every year many charities set up specific Christmas drives and appeals. The Salvation Army have brass bands in every major town and city and collect change from shoppers, the BBC annual charity fundraiser "Children in Need" which is just one month before Christmas always raises a lot of money and this year was no exception. Last year I went to meet a friend in the city of Bath and on the drive out, I was quite surprised to see a soup kitchen just off of one of the main squares. Even the "adopt a...(animal of choice)" is a popular Christmas present with the charities that offer them such as WWF. In these economically fragile times, it is encouraging that charity has not suffered at Christmas. What is clear is that people are still conscious of the needy in society at a time of seemingly limitless spending.

The second issue is that we are forgetting the "true" meaning of Christmas in our indulgence. This "true" meaning, apparently, means giving thanks and praise to a man who even Theologians acknowledge was in all likelihood not born on 25th December (the same date as the ancient Roman Saturnalia). Many also acknowledge that this repackaging of an ancient festival was a device used to ease the transition of conversion from Pagan to Christian, a fact acknowledged by Christian groups that do no mark Christmas (such as Jehovah's Witnesses) but that is another debate entirely. What is clear when we look to the past is that Christmas has always been about indulgence and celebration at the gloomiest time of the year.

One of the symbols of this apparent "commercialism" is the chocolate filled advent calendar. It may come as a great surprise to some that this was invented in Tudor England, as was the concealing of luxuries behind successive doors. Each day leading to Christmas Day would bring another treat, and what is chocolate today if not the most indulgent of treats?

The decorated tree, the bringing of evergreens into the house such as holly, ivy and mistletoe, the Christmas feast all go back even further than Christianity and were invented by Germanic pagans as a way of marking the new year (21st December, the shortest day after which daylight hours get longer) and bringing a bit of colour to the cold and darkness. There may be a spiritual meaning here, perhaps an encouragement of the arrival of spring in as soon a time as possible, but what we do know is that this celebration was marked in many ways as we do today.

Nor should we ever underestimate the meaning of giving. This is no better demonstrated in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The greatest emphasis of Scrooge's redemption in the narrative is on that which he gives to those he has wronged directly, especially his long-suffering employee Bob Cratchit. The much-needed pay rise is beaten only in size by the enormous prize-winning Turkey that Scrooge sends him anonymously. We also never learn the value of the donation to the men collecting charity money for the poor because the actual value does not matter. The emphasis is on the thought of giving, the thought behind the giving in this case is the inclusion of "a great many back payments".

But there is more to the commercial aspect of Christmas, and it is not necessarily a bad thing. In recent years, many towns and cities have gone to great effort to encourage an overall experience to the Christmas period against the endless advertising that hits us from the end of August. Christmas events are everywhere these days and they are as popular as ever. This fact can be attested by the success of festivals such as those at Ludlow and Portsmouth, markets at Lincoln and Winchester and other historic cities. In the UK we now have a newfound love affair for Germany and have imported their traditional markets with enthusiasm; Birmingham's annual event is now considered one of the biggest in the world. Of course, none of these events would go ahead if there wasn't any money to be made but their success can be put down to the balance they strike between commercial interest and providing an enjoyable experience. Who can begrudge these events if people enjoy them enough to return year after year?

So from my perspective, the commercial aspect of Christmas is merely a modern capitalist extension of something far more ancient than Christianity. It is the celebration of midwinter and brings some light and colour in the gloomiest, darkest, coldest time of the year. So, if you're not against celebrating ancient pagan traditions that have survived the belief system itself, then decorate your house however you please, enjoy as much food as you can manage, spend what you can afford, ignore the Christmas adverts in August and raise a glass of sherry to the most wonderful and ancient celebration in history.

YES


It seems that every year more and more people become disillusioned with Christmas. They complain of the disruption, the fact that Christmas lasts too long, that it begins too early, it’s too expensive, too stressful and perhaps worst of all – so disappointing.

And for those of us who hold Christmas in high esteem and have been eagerly counting the days since the 5th January, we do have to pause and reflect that these people have probably missed the point.

What should Christmas be? What are the most important things? That it is a time of giving; a time for indulgence; a time for perfection? No, this is not what Christmas is really about. Christmas should be a time for slowing down, for reflecting on the past and looking to the future. Christmas is about promise – it is often a time of sadness but also of hope. It’s a time when every person has a moment to stop and consider; a time of thinking both of ourselves and of the world around us. Christmas, that ancient festival huddled in the darkness of winter, is about the light that comes from within; it is a time when we reflect on who and what we are; when we think both about who and what is important to us and what we mean to others. When we consider what it means to be human.

But the most important thing about Christmas, the one and only thing that really makes Christmas special – which is so incredibly obvious but often over looked, that special magic, that golden shimmer, that oft indefinable something is that Christmas is a time of Tradition. Not ‘tradition’, but Tradition, the capital letter is all important here. That capital letter changes tradition – the mundane, the imposed and proscribed into Tradition the deeply personal, intimate and utterly precious.

So Christmas should be a time to slow down, to take stock and be hopeful – a time encapsulated in every person’s individual traditions which transport them back in time to Christmases past and which will hint at the Christmases still to come.

So why is the ‘commercial’ such a bad thing? It is because the commercial emphasis hammered home at Christmas threatens to destroy or totally obscure the things that are really important. The commercial convinces us that what we need to have a good Christmas is new things, new products, and new gifts. To have a good Christmas we must spend lots of money – on gifts, on food, on decorations and all the other accoutrements of Christmas. As we are weighed down with more and more things that we must buy, as we rush to construct the perfect Christmas, the moment for stillness and reflection passes us by.

Christmas, in the shops, begins in September – at the latest. The Christmas gifts and food begin to appear. We feel the panic begin to rise. The lists of things we need to prepare begin to creep in. And why do shops feel the need to begin the Christmas rush so early? It is the fear that their competitors might get there first. Once Halloween is passed then Christmas thunders in – 3 for 2 on gifts, special offers, order forms for the Christmas roast, mounds of biscuits, nuts and sprouts. It is never too early to feel the pull of Christmas. Then there are the must buys; the toy your child must have – without which Christmas would be ruined. Commercialism makes Christmas a race – everything must be done, bought wrapped and perfect for the big day and anything that doesn’t cross the finish line on time isn’t worth having.

Then, after four months of preparation, the shops insist that Christmas ends on Boxing Day. But Christmas doesn’t begin in September and end on December 26th! There are 12 days of Christmas, those few glorious days in the year when we slow down and reflect. But no! Christmas ends on the 26th because the shops are rushing to get rid of their Christmas stock – they can’t let their competitors beat them to it. So the staff are forced back into work on the 26th and the decorations are torn down – 4 months on display yet they only see one actual day of Christmas – when the shop is closed. Then all those precious gifts, those 3 for 2 delights, that precious Christmas fare, just one day later is hurriedly marked down, revealed as the cheap tat it always was – dressed up in Christmas packaging which in the course of a single day is reduced from precious shimmering gold, to worthless tin foil.

And in the afterglow of commercialism’s shabby magic, you feel a little cheated, as the prices drop, so do the scales from your eyes. Seduced by the Commercial Christmas, in the rush to buy for the season of giving, you didn’t have time to stop and think about those people, no time to reflect – and now Christmas is over, the disappointment floods in and the sale signs fly up and you mustn’t stop now because there are bargains to be had!
No. This is not how it should be. Christmas does not end on Boxing Day and there is more to life than shopping. Wait a few days. You’ve already spent enough money. Go home, relax with your friends and family, or even by yourself – it isn’t over, it’s only just beginning. If you don’t go to the shops, maybe no one else will either. Let those shop staff stay home and enjoy the festive season too. Let the decorations stay up and shimmer – you’ve been preparing for this holiday for months, why be so quick to see the back of it? Could it be the disappointment? You wanted the Christmas the adverts promised, seduced and flustered by the need to buy – as the wrapping paper is thrown in the bin you’re left with is a pile of stuff you didn’t really want and which will be on sale at a fraction of the price tomorrow – do you wonder what the point was? If so, you definitely missed it – but it isn’t too late.

You’ve been bombarded by adverts since Halloween to buy and spend on the disposable, easily forgettable, and soon to be on sale Christmas.
Christmas is something you make yourself – you can’t buy it ready packaged. Christmas takes time – even if you’re rushed off your feet with life take just a little time to prepare and enjoy. Make your own traditions, don’t try and buy into Christmas, remember there are other important things to do.
Christmas isn’t just about gifts, food, booze and TV. There are places to go, things to do and people to see. Don’t be seduced by the commercial Christmas – what you’re looking for doesn’t come in wrapping paper and it can’t be bought and sold.

You don’t have to have the biggest tree, the most tacky and revolting lights, the most expensive presents, the perfect Christmas lunch as designed by Delia Smith. Take time and make sure that you and your loved ones are happy and reflect on the world around you. Be giving but give more than gifts, give your time and your love and be the best that you can be. Christmas gives you a very precious time in which you can recharge, reflect and look forward. Treasure this time and use it to make yourself a better and happier person, this year and every year.

A very well deserved victory for the wife there. An amazing argument and despite that I argued the opposite position, there is nothing in the post that I disagree with.

But I think it is down to us not to fall for Commercial Christmas because if people were not desperate to get into the scrum of the January sales on Boxing Day, the shops wouldn't open. It is all very well and good complaining about it but we as the consumer must vote with our feet. But of course as a society, the word "SALE" is like a drug and people have become too concerned with missing an apparent bargain that they can't help themselves. And let's face it, in recent years January sales have become less and less of a well of bargains as shops become more strategic about price changes. And as some shops always seem to have a sale on, I question the need for people to be camping outside shops from the night before in the first place. When I worked in retail, I hated working first day of the sale and I have vowed never to go shopping on one either because people are like vultures on those days.

Personally, I would very much like the trading law that stops us shopping on Easter Sunday to also include (or perhaps to switch) to Boxing Day.

I wish it had been a draw. I think the two arguments complement one another perfectly and I think my argument seems incomplete without yours and vice versa. You also had the tougher position to argue, imo. I did not address that Christmas should be commercial in part, that the commercial aspects add to the overall pleasure - the events we go to, some of the traditions etc. I focussed more on the fact that the question asks whether it has become TOO commercialised - which I think it has, but ultimately I think it is up to each of us to reclaim Christmas and make it our own. If we find it too commercial, then we need to find our own way of doing things where we can ignore or incorporate that aspect as we like.

And my questions would be to anybody claiming that it is too commercial would be:
Who decides when it is and isn't too commerical?
What are the criteria for deciding when it is an isn't too commercial?
and at what point does it become too commercial?
I think it really comes back to my point that these complaints are raised slolely by the religious lobby feeling incensed at the lack of deference for their beliefs.

Both of you did a good job for the first debate post. Now if we could have Matt and Dbl in a shoot out. Now that would be glorious!

Now......

The_Amber_Spyglass wrote:And my questions would be to anybody claiming that it is too commercial would be:
Who decides when it is and isn't too commerical?
What are the criteria for deciding when it is an isn't too commercial?
and at what point does it become too commercial?
I think it really comes back to my point that these complaints are raised slolely by the religious lobby feeling incensed at the lack of deference for their beliefs.

As you know, I'm not religious, so what I'm going to say has no bearing on it.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking Xmas has become too commercial is how here in the USA, they put out the Xmas decorations and deals in the stores weeks before Thanksgiving. It used to be the day after before you'd see it. That is commerciality. The stores are gobbling up more weeks before they used to.

On the lighter note, I've seen families who try to "one-up" one another to see who can buy the most expensive or extravagant gift. If all I got were socks and underwear, I wouldn't bat an eye.

Yes that annoys me too. I don't want to see Christmas trees for sale in September when it is still warm and the clocks won't go back for another 6 weeks. Clearly they play on people's sense of urgency that if they don't get their tree the moment it goes on sale, they will miss out. But I can ignore it. I know that the Gluhwein I like won't be out of stock until about a week before Christmas. I know there will be more than enough Turkeys (or pheasants as I sometimes have) to go around, there will always be enough sprouts and that is why I ignore it. And as I said above, Commercial Christmas is an integral part of it, but I can ignore the bits I don't like and enjoy the bits that I do.

I don't start shopping for Xmas till the first week of December. And then there's this; we can shop online (and I do). Chances of an item being unavailable online is less than in stores.

I've also gone on to give gift cards for Xmas. My dad is hard to buy for, so it works good for me and him.

December 2010: Has Christmas become too commercialised?

I was not here in time to vote.. but here's my opinion.. Christmas has always been too commercialised.. Long, long before dear old Oliver made it a crime to sell mince-meat-Christmas-pies ect, peoples of Christ the world over had to dig deep into their money-bags to buy that year’s Christmas do-dabs.. Charlemagne spent huge sums of ribbons to decorate snow covered trees.. Even Saint Helena the mother of Constantine was said to have spent much on Christmas do-dabs when she travelled through Palestine one year.. Is we spending more on Christmas do-dabs today then others spent in times gone by.. I don’t think it matters.

Today’s Christians can not give their Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh to the baby Jesus so they give them to friends and family.. And the rest of us, we don’t want to be out done the the giving and getting of rich gifts

There's one vote I never received then, lol.

Interesting you mention Cromwell because of all the rhetoric about godless secularists wanting to ban Christmas. The amusing thing is that in the history of this country, Oliver Cromwell was the only one that actually did it.