There was a time when most of us thought that the Christmas season began after Thanksgiving. Then the retail stores began to start the festivities earlier and earlier in order to boost their year-end gains. I seem to recall that we began to hear Christmas music and see lights and Christmas-themed sales in mid-November just a few years ago. Yesterday, October 25th no less, I had to pick up something at the pharmacy at my nearby Costco. Low and behold Christmas music filled the aisles and sales were up and running. The place was packed. In fact the suburban roadways were in a state of traffic jam already. October 25th. Utterly amazing. And we are in a bad economy?

I wonder with the economy in the tank, so to speak, if Christmas will begin in September next year. Who knows, maybe we could eventually begin right after July 4th. Why not? A culture with little or no understanding of the meaning of the incarnation only has an aggressive sales plan left anyway. I have often wondered when I might finally drop the commercial part of Christmas. Some of my friends did so many years ago. I am not quick to react to such things. I take my time. After Saturday I might finally join the reactionaries. I am sick of being drug into a constant consumer pitch. I may "sit this one out." Anita and I will have to talk about this but with a large decrease in money we may have little choice anyway. (We had already cut way back in recent years.) There are many good things to be said for a weakened economy. This might be one.

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Comments

  1. Adam S October 26, 2008 at 7:24 am

    I saw Christmas stuff set up in Sept this year.

  2. john October 26, 2008 at 10:51 pm

    Sorry my post isn’t Christmas-related, but I just have to vent. I know that you make a strong effort to understand the younger generation of evangelical Christians (i follow your blog pretty regularly), so I wanted to tell you my thoughts based on an email I just received by a friend of my parents.
    He sent me and several other young people a letter by Focus on the Family: http://focusfamaction.edgeboss.net/download/focusfamaction/pdfs/10-22-08_2012letter.pdf
    Now I respect Dr. James Dobson and his organization for many reasons (i.e. the Truth project), but this is… strange. The claims it makes will happen if Obama is elected are ridiculous! (Never mind the embarrassing factual errors in the letter and erroneous sources that are cited).
    Here is a news article written that criticizes the letter: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h0S_-WZ32SLwqlSl84qr8MxA1SbQD9417MS80
    One evangelical author summed up exactly what I’m feeling right now:
    “Young evangelicals are tired — like most people at this point in the election — and rhetoric which is fear-based, strong-arms the listener, and states opinion as fact will only polarize rather than further the informed, balanced discussion that younger voters are hungry for.”
    I’m tired of the fear-driven tactics and propaganda by the Christian Right. They are completely underestimating the intellect of the younger generation of undecided voters (and frankly, their efforts are embarrassing to watch.) I appreciate how you always try to be objective and fair in your criticisms of Obama. I wish more people were like that, rather than pushing us further away.
    -John (a 20-something undecided evangelical voter)

  3. Jack Isaacson October 27, 2008 at 3:40 am

    John, you wrote: “I wonder with the economy in the tank, so to speak, if Christmas will begin in September next year. Who knows, maybe we could eventually begin right after July 4th. Why not?”
    Having managed Christian bookstores for eighteen years and being a sales rep.for a publishing company six years, Christmas is a YEAR ROUND business. You place your order for Christmas cards in January or you don’t have any when September arrives.
    Customers demand the cards in September so they can have the best ones.
    Call Dayspring Greeting Cards and they are working on 2010 cards NOW.
    This holds true for ALL Christian Publishing company’s.
    If “super” Christian author-Joe or Jane-is writing the next “block-buster” book they better have it ready by July in time for the CBA, so the promotion can start.
    Christmas is BIG business and we have bought into it.

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