Fire 'pon the "Christmas shopping season"!

[WitchyOoman]

Fire 'pon the "Christmas shopping season"!

The season upon us right now is <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Advent</span></span>. Not Christmas.

Advent is the penitential fasting season of watching out for, of waiting for, the coming of the Savior of the World to arrive. Advent is a period of preparation; we prepare our souls so that we might more worthily receive the birth of Christ. We say extra prayers, we make additional sacrifices, we omit 'alleluias' and 'the Gloria' from our liturgy, we stress the preparatory and the penitential nature of the Advent season. We refrain from eating meat on Fridays and we refrain from eating at all between meals. We fast now so that the Christmas feast will be all the sweeter and more wonderful later, <span style="font-style: italic">in it's proper time</span>. We do not yet put up the Christmas tree, and other Christmas decorations; those go up after the end of Advent, on Christmas Eve. There is plenty of time from Christmas Eve to the day after Epiphany - the entire Christmas season - to enjoy the Christmas decorations!

Yes, we all do some Christmas shopping during Advent... but the reason for the season (as the old saying goes) is Jesus - not shopping and presents! What is wrong with going back to older traditions, and giving presents out at Epiphany, instead of Christmas Day? One could easily do one's Christmas shopping from December 26th until January 5th... and give one's presents on the 6th, Epiphany - the day when the Three Wise Men/Kings gave their presents to the Baby Jesus. By following the older tradition, one does not intrude upon the pensive season of Advent.

Fire 'pon the &quot;Christmas shopping season&quot; beginning before Thanksgiving ..... before Halloween, even!
The whole of the month of December isn't enough for the greedy-greedy shopkeepers and retailers.
Fire 'pon those who can't wait to enjoy the pleasures of the season <span style="font-style: italic">in due time</span>!

[blugiant]

Re: Fire 'pon the &quot;Christmas shopping season&quot;!

soo witchy yu nah buy mii sintinn fe christmas

intrestinn pint yu raisinn butt oww does itt raise de coffers aff de church too.

everee ting iss bout consumption ann overconsumption? oww peeps ar manipulated to spend wat dem doan ave fe mekk da rich richer.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Fire 'pon the &quot;Christmas shopping season&quot;!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: blakkgiant</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
soo witchy yu nah buy mii sintinn fe christmas</div></div>
Of course I have something for you for Christmas, blakkgiant.

I just don't buy much during the Advent season. Advent is a stark season for me; I observe the old-style Catholic Advent. (penitential and sacrificial)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: blakkgiant</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
intrestinn pint yu raisinn butt oww does itt raise de coffers aff de church too.

everee ting iss bout consumption ann overconsumption? oww peeps ar manipulated to spend wat dem doan ave fe mekk da rich richer.</div></div>
In a way, yes. But the Church gives charitably to the poor.

We make our sacrifices, give sacrificially. We give to the Church, to the poor, and to other charities. We give until it hurts (literally). We give to the point that we must do without ourselves.

Secularly, everything during this period of time is indeed about overconsumption. All is over-the-top. Buy more, buy everything your child/dren want/s, buy it all. Grab it now, gra it early, grab grab grab! Who cares if you stampede that poor man? Go get yours! Who cares if you injure that lady? Just get yours! Grab it, grab it, grab it all NOW!!

Spend all you've got now. Then use lay-away, aned pay more later. Then max out all of your credit cards to pay for even more gifts that you can't pay off until months later, until April. Buy, buy, buy more. Buy it all. Hurry up and buy more before it's all gone. (It's never gonna be 'all gone'. .)

It's ridiculous! Insanity!

How can anyone in their right mind spend so much on Christmas that they can't pay it all off until April?!
But we all know people who do jus that... year after year after year.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Fire 'pon the &quot;Christmas shopping season&quot;!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: blakkgiant</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
oww peeps ar manipulated to spend wat dem doan ave fe mekk da rich richer.</div></div>
Dunno if any of this makes the rich richer...

Which rich are you talking about, blakkgiant? Merchants? I don't know any truly rich merchants.

[Magician]

Re: Fire 'pon the &quot;Christmas shopping season&quot;!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WitchyOoman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">we refrain from eating at all between meals</div></div>

Really? First time I hear of this requirement.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Fire 'pon the &quot;Christmas shopping season&quot;!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Magix</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WitchyOoman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">we refrain from eating at all between meals</div></div>

Really? First time I hear of this requirement. </div></div>
Old style Advent observance, yes. I don't know if it's a <span style="font-style: italic">requirement</span>, but it's what's done.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Fire 'pon the &quot;Christmas shopping season&quot;!

The purpose of gift-shopping and gift-giving is [supposed to be] charitable giving, and therefore giving of one's own time and effort and money is a large part of that charitable giving. Small thoughtful gifts are in keeping with this sentiment, not lots of big gifts. The best gifts are those which one makes him/herself. Time spent making gifts - be they baked goods, handicrafts, whatever - is part of the gift. This is the appropriate attitude during Advent, too.

Running around trying to buy a hundred gifts is not in keeping with the attitude of Advent, nor of Christmas. The handmade gift is the one most in keeping with the spirit of Christmas. Using the season to make up for a failing financial year is <span style="font-style: italic">NOT</span> what the Christmas spirit is all about.

[Magician]

Re: Fire 'pon the &quot;Christmas shopping season&quot;!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WitchyOoman</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Magix</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WitchyOoman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">we refrain from eating at all between meals</div></div>

Really? First time I hear of this requirement. </div></div>
Old style Advent observance, yes. I don't know if it's a <span style="font-style: italic">requirement</span>, but it's what's done. </div></div>

I think the Greeks and the Ethiopians celebrate Chirstmas in January like you do.

[Cultcha]

Re: Fire 'pon the &quot;Christmas shopping season&quot;!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Magix</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

I think the Greeks and the Ethiopians celebrate Chirstmas in January like you do. </div></div>

Ukrainians too! Mi know cause mi work wid one.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: Fire 'pon the &quot;Christmas shopping season&quot;!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kotch_Foot_Milo</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Magix</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

I think the Greeks and the Ethiopians celebrate Chirstmas in January like you do. </div></div>

Ukrainians too! Mi know cause mi work wid one. </div></div>
And the Russian Orthodox, probably, too. Most of the Eastern Churches do.

The Western Churches are just as appalled at the commercialization of Christmas as their Eastern Sisters. Many Roman Catholic priests preach against such excesses.


Don't misunderstand me - many Roman Catholics celebrate the gift-giving part of Christmas on December 25th, but others celebrate that on Epiphany (January 6th, Twelfth Night).

But I don't think the Eastern Churches celebrate Christmas on Epiphany. I think they just use the older calendar than our modern one, so three out of every four years their Christmas is a week later than ours, and on the fourth year it falls on the same day as ours. At least, the Greek Orthodox calculate it that way, for that reason.