CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

[Stanley]

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

12 December 2004

One of the wonderful things about being aware of history is that you can gain so much depth in your understanding of something like Christmas shopping. I know I'm an extreme example but when I watch the annual war of the retailers to enhance the 'shopping experience' and persuade us all to spend my mind goes back to a bunch of Pagans having a mid-winter knees up to break the miserable experience of cold weather and give them a bit of hope and respite.
We are so insulated from real life nowadays that it takes a real effort to adjust our frame of reference sufficiently to understand what our ancestors had to endure. Imagine a garden shed with no windows for a home and realise that this would have been luxury beyond their dreams. I remember in the army once having to spend two nights out in the open in the depths of a German winter in the snow with temperatures of zero Fahrenheit. I've never been so cold and miserable in my life but it was valuable experience because now I can look back and realise that this was what our forebears had to endure.
When Pope Gregory made his decisive effort to 'convert' Britannia to Roman Christianity he made it very clear that none of the Pagan or Celtic Christian temples were to be demolished, the old Gods were to be converted to Saints and the festivals renamed to be retained as part of the church year, a brilliant strategy which worked. The Pagan mid-winter festival became the anniversary of the birth of Christ and Christmas was born.
For 1500 years Christmas retained it’s original form, a religious festival that gave an opportunity for a holiday and at some point, the exchange of gifts. I’m quite intrigued about gifts actually, I wonder when the practice started and why? Is it as old as the Three Wise Men and their gifts? Or perhaps even older, the vestiges of votive offerings to the Gods? Whatever the answer I think there’s little doubt that they were symbolic and of little value, any spare resources had to go into survival.
By 1700 rising levels of industry and prosperity were having their effect. Anyone with spare resources spent money on consumption to give themselves luxury and also to demonstrate their success to the world. As industry grew, so did Christmas. In Victorian times the celebration of Christmas reached a peak with the introduction of the Christmas tree and far more elaborate decorations. I think it was at this point that the seasonal excess and consumption began to overtake the religious significance of the holiday.
During the 20th century we saw the rise of the retailer and advertising to stimulate demand. One of the strange things about our capitalist system is that it cannot work in balance, it has to grow continually in order to survive. Any method that could be found to stimulate consumption was used ruthlessly and this has now reached another peak with advertising on TV and the Internet. Every year the lead time into Christmas increases and the campaign started this year at the beginning of November. Everyday items suddenly became ‘festive’.
So where have we got to? One thing is certain, the number of people who see Christmas as a purely religious festival is at an all-time low. True, we will see full churches for Carol Services but how many of these people attend for the rest of the year? Are they going because of religious conviction or ‘tradition’?
The true temples today are those dedicated to consumption. Every year the amount spent on gifts, food and drink increases, it is a frenzy of shopping. I often look at the laden trolleys and wonder how anyone can eat so much food. I’m all for a special meal at Christmas but surely much of what is bought ends up in the dustbin? If not, it’s no wonder that organisations like Weight Watchers have a mini-boom every January.
There’s another effect that is even more damaging than over-consumption, the availability of credit. Just before Christmas we get offers of large loans from our banks and credit card companies. How many people will look at their credit card statements in January and realise that the sickening reality is that they will be lucky if they clear the debt by the following Christmas?
I know I’m sounding like a modern day Scrooge but I think that the commercialisation of Christmas has damaged the holiday beyond repair. I saw a report the other day that a Salvation Army band had refused to play at a carol service because some Jobsworth at the local council had decided that Christmas should not be mentioned. It was to be described as a multi-racial celebration or some such ridiculous description. I always remember what a Jewish friend of mine said when I asked her why an Orthodox family celebrated Christmas, she said ‘A holiday is a holiday!’ What a sensible attitude and did anybody consult other ethnic groups about the name? This combination of political correctness and commercialisation overlays everything and it might be a good time to rebel.
Do kids really need multiple presents, great piles of parcels? Is this celebration or buying affection? Do we really need three times the amount of food and drink? Do we really think that the shops close for a week at Christmas and we have to fill every corner of the fridge and freezer? Is Christmas really an enjoyable holiday? Why do the Samaritans report that the incidence of domestic violence, separation and suicide rise over the Christmas holiday?
My problem is that I can recall the old magic of Christmas, one present and a special meal and then turkey sandwiches for a week! I remember watching the kids opening their presents at a time when we had no money and there was definitely no over-consumption. I can remember when there was no such thing as pester-power, designer labels and must have gizmos. I am sad that so many people have fallen for the retailer’s trickery and equate the quality of the holiday with their ability to consume. They are the losers, they have forgotten the magic and submerged the season in excess. The really frightening thing is that I can see no end to this progression. How far can we go down this road before the whole concept implodes?
After all this whingeing I have only one message for you, have a happy Christmas, keep safe and warm and don’t make yourselves poorly. Enjoy the kids and always remember, January brings the bills...

12 December 2004