When I was a kid, we had "big" Christmas mornings, a plethora of gifts, As you know by now, my Dad was a Doctor, so we were well off. I got chemistry sets, Lincoln logs, a small pool table one year, a Lionel Train, those I remember, but much more. We put our tree up on the 18th, no outside decorations, then, that I remember, Mom and I would go to Rike's Department store the week before Christmas to see Santa, the fairy land the store had, and those fantastic window decorations.
We had Christmas Week, then, Christmas Day, and it was pretty much over for the year. We call it CHRISTMAS. It was a celebration of the Birth of Christ. Nativity scenes under every tree, in store windows, on church lawns, we saw the Three Wisemen, the Manger, Mary and Joseph standing nearby. At school we had an assembly, they recreated the Nativity scene, on stage, at Emerson Junior High School. After the assembly, on our way out of the school, we got a little bag with some Christmas candy, and some other items, our gift from the school. We even had a gift exchange in our class. Nothing over a dollar.
We went to church, once or twice, even participated in a "Christmas Play" put on by my Sunday School class, the church was tastefully decorated, to celebrate the "Birth of Christ."
Look at it today, one month away, and we are in the midst of a selling frenzy, radio, TV, not sure about the newspaper, never read one, but, we have the Internet, all selling items for the "Winter Holiday."
Christ has gone, sales have taken over. What to call the season. They have some "Summer Christmas Sales." Black Friday, now PRE Black Friday, then, all the SUPER selling days from Thanksgiving to That Day. First, we have to take the Christ out of the day. Sellmas, Bymas, Goodsmas, Frenzymas, "The Selling Season." I like that, or better, The Winter Selling Season. Or, The Winter Buying Season.
Maybe just call it the Season of Walmart and we'll have Walmart Day instead of Christmas. "Deck the halls with gifts from Walmart, tra la la, la la, la, la, la." Let's give credit where credit is due, who actually benefits the most from the season, Walmart
