Make Christmas Matter to Everything and Everyone
I know it's a little early - and I don't even celebrate it myself! - but Christmas is not far off now. There are various reasons for not celebrating it, but the main ones are:
1. It is presently a celebration of the misunderstood teachings of Jesus, which are in fact (as the Gospel of Thomas points out) an attempt to awaken consciousness in everyone;
2. It has been hijacked by corporate greed to have us buy as many things as possible, in an attempt to show our 'love' for others, making it completely unsustainable to the planet. The total spent on presents in the UK alone in 2006 was about £17 BILLION, and this only on gifts, without the massively excess amount of food we buy on top of this!
So why not make Christmas matter to everything and everyone this year, and show your love for where we live and everyone on it, by giving in a different way? Buy Nothing Day (www.adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/bnxmas/index.php) has been one way of getting to grips with this, but why not give to the planet and/or those who most need our love and support through the many organisations and charities that already exist? Some companies and organisations already make donations instead of buying cards and presents, but imagine if all that personal spending were released to help the millions of starving and disempowered, disenfranchised people in the world?
I don't doubt this suggestion has been made many times before, but this is a direct appeal to Ode readers everywhere. As is often quoted on the Ode website, Gandhi invited us to "Be the change we want to see in the world". I am asking us all to be the love we all are inside and in the world, and to show that love in a way which will make a difference to many many people and the planet itself. Please give!
This reminds me of a book I read a while back called "The Battle for Christmas" by Stephen Nissenbaum (www.amazon.com/Battle-Christmas-Stephen-Nissenbaum/dp/0679740384). It's an interesting look at the history of Christmas and its social evolution of when it was once recognized as a pagan carnival at which drunken "wassailers" extorted food and drink from the well-to-do”. The holiday was then transformed, during the nineteenth century, into a festival of domesticity and consumerism in order to tame past traditions. It’s definitely an interesting read.
It’s sad to see how it has turned into such a consumer focused holiday. This is a great idea to have a “Buy Nothing” holiday and instead give your money to those who need it most. And for those relatives that might [**gasp**] feel offended if they did not get a gift from you, then find ways to be creative and make them a gift. Here are some great alternatives: www.buynothingchristmas.org/alternatives
Thanks for the reminder, adamgilliland!
posted by katiek on 10/ 1/2007 1:27 pm