Christmas and Thanksgiving Meet on the Porch
If you’ve heard me speak, you may recall my quoting Maya Angelou who says,
“A thinking person has to ask. . . .”
So. . . I’m just asking, why is it that so many Christmas lights were up weeks before Thanksgiving? Why did so many folks have up Christmas stuff and fall decorations? And why was it a national phenomena that Black Friday began before the turkey was even cleared off the table?
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Is it because we’re trying to be efficient?
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Is it because we don’t really like Thanksgiving all that much and want to rush on?
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Is it because we like lights and getting gifts and giving presents?
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Is it because we like to shop? Or bake cookies? Or eat too much?
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Is it because we like to overindulge?
The part about the lights made me think of the December my daughter went to Sweden. Although the sun went down very early, about 3 in the afternoon, she reported that decorative lights glittered everywhere. “Those Swedes really now how to deal with lots of darkness,” she noted. Is our glittery stuff related to a sense of darkness, I wonder.
The part about shopping and spending and indulging made me think of a church I heard of last holiday season. You know how church campaigns sometimes have slogans? Well, theirs was, “It’s NOT Your Birthday!” If you think about that very long, your mind just naturally carries you to, “Then whose is it?” Exactly their point, I’m sure. The challenge in that congregation was to spend as much on charity for Christmas as one spends on family. Wow! There’s something to ponder.
I’m worried. I’m worried that I saw Christmas festivities arrive so early this year. . . not because I don’t LOVE Christmas (which I DO!). I’m worried that even we adults have become child-like in our fixation on shopping and eating and splurging.
Is it possible that we’ve forgotten that it’s NOT our birthday?
I’m just asking. . . .
Kathleen Fischer 
I think it’s a great challenge to spend as much on charity as on our own family! While we always do something for charities that we care about, I’m not sure it’s equal to our own spending on family gifts. challenge accepted! (So we will have to cut back some on family gifts in order to do more for charity. This is also a wonderful opportunity!)
Loved this post! I sent it to about 20 friends. Thank you!
Simply stated, simply brilliant – Amen – an advent mantra….”How many days till WHO’s birthday?”
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А това е да се върнат и да обяснят на простия български народ, че като го мамят, Zначи са велики! Haha, nqma smisyl da se osbqnqva na takiva kato vas. Zashtoto ne si struva da se vlagat usiliqta da osbqnqvash na nqkoi, koito ne razbira i ne iska da 4ue. Ili za syjalenie se zablujdavash, 4e sa dostato4no inteligentni da razberat. No, uvi Za razlika ot Vas, Bai Ganio e izlqzyl ot Bg i e vidql za kakvo stava vypros, a ne si e stoql v gorata, zablujdavaiki se kolko mu e dobre. Ili kato edin drug vid individi, koito otivat v 4ujbina, zavladqni ot velikiq si Bg mantalitet i psevdo-patriotizym nikoga ne osyznavat, 4e ne sa tam. Vinagi drugite sa prosti, nevyzptani i ne mogat da se obosnovavat. Otnosno pola na Bai Ganio, ne znam, zashto reshihte, moje bi zashtoto kato vseki tipi4en bylgarin jenite sa umstveno po-slabiq pol, che sym jena. Kato Vi e tolkova poznata bylgarskata psihika bi trqbvalo mnogo dobre da znaete, kakyv e principa da gledame v 4ujdata 4iniq i da se uspokoqvame, 4e drugite sa po-zle . V tozi slu4ai oba4e, tova e pove4e plasheshto, otkolkoto uspokoqvashto. No ste tolkova intelingenten mlad myj, nai- veroqtno, kym koito trqbva da se obryshtat podobavashto (ne znam v koe lice, moje bi Vie, za syjalenie ste predstavitel na golqma 4ast ot Bg narod kakto sam kazvate Мечо Пух08/03/2009 • 23:35 мдам, българите сме малък, но изключително прост народ! haha sig izklju4vate sebe si ), 4e nqma smisyl da Vi se kazva zashto. Moje bi ako ste v dylbokata gora Schwarzwald i se zavyrnete ottam moje i o4i v o4i da se diskutira s Vas, toku vij ste razbrali-nadejdata posledna umira. za syjlanie, kakto s pove4eto zavladqni ot sebe si patrioti s vas ne moje da se spori. No na nikoi ne mu e zabraneno da me4tae i svetyt na prikazkite e prekrasen i kato edna istinska mechka se nadqvam nqkoga da se sybudite ot zimniq si syn. I ako, nadqvam se kato uvajavasht sebe si profesionalist za kakyvto sam se smqtate da imate dostyp do bloga na Nouriel Roubini i negoviq 2009 Global economic Outlook i da pro4etete skromnata 4ast otdelena na BG, kakto i da e do koito da e vestnik Wall Street Journal, moje bi zastitavashtite haresvashtite se na bg tezi , no vypreki vsi4ko obektivni FT i The Economist. Estvesteno otgovarqshti na vashiq stil ili pone na tova, za koeto se smqtate, moje da pro4etete analizite predlagani ot vodeshti think thanks, nqma smisyl da 4etete, kakvo Vi pishat nqkakvi glupavi Bai Ganiovci, koito mogat i da sa ot jenski rod. No 4etete, ne filosofstvaite’ samo! Ako nastoqvate da se razsynite napylno, poglednete surovite danni, koito se nadqvam, znaete kyde da namerite. I ako, kakto na masata v BG ne Vi se zanimava i Vi e po-lesno da si namerite izvinenie, si kajete tq e prosta, pyk makar i da sym myj!!!