Comments on: Where Not to Shop for Chirstmas Presents (Updated)

By: Loretta-Marie Dimond

Loretta-Marie Dimond — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 11:45:10 +0000

Another viewpoint: Keeping Christ in Christmas prerequisite #1 is the proper celebration of the season of Advent. If I elect to do shopping for a forthcoming holiday, December birthday, or seasonal festival in an atmosphere freed from the premature, secular, Bacchanalian celebration of the winter solstice that modern media has of late called the politically-correct Christmas, is that not proper? If I elect to skirt the other extreme as well, the fundamentalist immersion thumping fire and brimstone Christmas, is that not also proper? Until Christmas gets here, which last time I looked is at either First Vespers on December 24th or Matins on December 25th depending on your preference, the holiday lights don’t go up, the train doesn’t run around the Christmas Village, the carols aren’t sung, the parties are boycotted–only a bare bulb electric candle Advent wreath glowing a little brighter for each week that passes is visible from the third story picture window. And if, by the time Christmas arrives, the rest of the world is bored with it and has flitted on to the next obsession, plastic Valentines and endless football, so much the better. I can celebrate the sacred season in peace for the next eight days and more. Bravo, my local Wal-Mart, for keeping the Muzak on the Middle of the Road instrumental station and for leaving the excessive ornamentation in the clearance aisle.

By: Amelia

Amelia — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:45:25 +0000

It is more than just whether or not they promote Christmas as they gorge themselves on money from our holyday. Most every single store including those mentioned in this blog also support abortion and homosexuality. Come on, folks…play it safe. Bake or make your gifts. Better yet…give that money to a food cupboard or maternity home.

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays were not very acceptable as Christmas greetings back in the 50s let alone now. They were just fine though as a general time of year salute. But I can remember my father tossing any “Christmas card” in the trash if it did not honor The Savior Jesus Christ. But then we were Catholic through and through. Today, it unfortunately stands for an anti-Christic credo.

By: leticia

leticia — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 05:39:15 +0000

My aunt in Florida, my uncle in Oregon, and I in New York have joined in the “War on Christmas” campaign, inspired by John Gibson’s book of the same name.
I object to the word ‘Christmas’ being banned from the public square, and to be honest, winning back the retailers has been fairly easy, because they want our cash this Christmas.

But that is only the thin edge of the wedge. I want public schools to stop the censorship of Christmas which is so extreme, even in the Bible belt, that an elementary school in Waco, TX bans red and green napkins at ‘winter parties’. Puleeze!

The war on Christmas is emblematic of the increasing secularization of society. The ultimate goal is to get us all to play along, and eliminate all references to Jesus Christ in our speech, at any time of year.

I knew things had gotten serious when a Catholic catalogue that I have shoppped from my entire life, Abbey Press, was entitled, “Holiday Catalogue”. They heard from me!

By: Hannah

Hannah — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 18:23:20 +0000

Hi,

Sorry to be off-topic, but I was wondering if you’ve reviewed rosary CD’s and could recommend a good one? The ideal one would contain all 20 mysteries and the divine mercy would be an added bonus for me.

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 11:56:52 +0000

…about

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 11:55:41 +0000

Although it is not a popular view, I tend to like mass retailers staying away from our Lord. He is The Temple, and I am not comfortable turning The Temple into a marketplace. Dish soap on aisle five, doves for the peace offering on aisle six… (Over the loud speaker: “Don’t forget to see the moneychangers first!”) Well, maybe that is a bit too much over the point, but it has precedence (John 2:16).

Obviously, I am NOT talking about . We “heterodox” have to broaden our scope of faith somewhere!!

By: Barb Szyszkiewicz, sfo

Barb Szyszkiewicz, sfo — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 23:31:14 +0000

I don’t mind so much when the stores say “holidays.” But I think the Dollar Tree commercial I saw yesterday sums up what really burns me. They say “holidays” and they decorate in green and they have red and green elves hamming it up in the ad. I’m fairly sure they’re not talking about EITHER Hannukah or Kwanzaa there. So don’t be so fake as to act like you’re “including” everyone else when it’s obvious that you really mean Christmas. I have other dollar store choices if I need to visit a dollar store.

We all have the power to decide where to spend our money. We vote with our wallets. I intend to vote with mine, AND to take a little time to let the establishments I patronize know that I appreciate their policies. That’s the part that really makes the difference.

By: Patrick Kinsale

Patrick Kinsale — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 17:09:37 +0000

Why do I have a hard time getting too worked up over this? It really is a season of legitimate holidays (That phony one, Kwanzaa, excluded — as if African-Americans need a holiday other than Christmas). But I also am getting tired of stores pushing the ads for gifts to make a buck of what should be simpler religious observances, especially when they start advertising before Halloween. I’m all for keeping Christ in Christmas, which they are not doing — even when they wish me a Merry Christmas.