No Christmas shopping madness

I just returned from another day working retail, dealing with shoppers who are nasty, greedy, and rude, with a rare gem of a nice one. Christmas shopping season berings out the nasty of so many people. It got me to wondering--what sort of POD would bring the season of greed back to a more joyous time--and put the shopping madness to rest for all time? A time when people exchange a few thoughtful gifts, rather than this buying frenzy? I know some do, but for so many, it's all about the gifts.

Perhaps if the Santa Claus legend hadn't taken off? Could that help?
 
Who says Santa's a legend? :p Seriously though, commercialization of major religious holidays (except Easter) is inevitable.
 
A communist revolution during the Great Depression would have eliminated the driving forces behind it, namely consumerism and Christianity.
 
feanor512 said:
A communist revolution during the Great Depression would have eliminated the driving forces behind it, namely consumerism and Christianity.

I dunno if that's too late as giving presents on Christmas was already widespread in Europe during the 19th century (well, at least among those who could afford them ;))
And even during the communist reign did eastern Europe celebrate it.
 
Set Christmas as the first Sunday after the Winter Solstice [first millennium POD]
No Repeal of the Sunday Blue Laws.
Mandatory early closing laws [no 24 hour stores]
 
Make half-days at work traditional between Thanksgiving and New Years. More time off means more time to shop and prepare, plus some unwinding time if they schedule things right. People won't just be rushing the stores on weekends, they'll be spreading it out over the week as well. The Holiday goes on unaffected, except the people are in less crowded malls, more relaxed, less rushed, and with more time to spend with the family.

It won't affect the commercialism at all, but it should be more pleasant.
 
It got me to wondering--what sort of POD would bring the season of greed back to a more joyous time--and put the shopping madness to rest for all time? A time when people exchange a few thoughtful gifts, rather than this buying frenzy? I know some do, but for so many, it's all about the gifts.

No Repeal of the Sunday Blue Laws.
Mandatory early closing laws [no 24 hour stores]

I believe that the conversion of "Christmas" to "Holiday" has played a significant role in the consumerism and secularization of Halloween to New Year's. In countries with state churches or de facto Christian traditions, the Christmasy season began (or still begins) on the 1st Sunday of Advent. But such a custom is untenable in an officially secular nation. Blue Laws, as DuQuense notes, might also stem the incessant buying frenzy, but the laws are explicitly based on Christian observance.

I have no difficulty with "Happy Holidays" (or 'Joyeux Fete' in Quebec, for example -- are there examples from other languages?). I respect agnosticism/atheism or the argument that religion is a private matter while consumerism is a general phenomenon that should not pertain to any one religious tradition. While I disagree with this assessment and think that all religions should be visible in the public square, one thing is certain: people do like to give and get things, and that sadly has become our public religion.

I just returned from another day working retail, dealing with shoppers who are nasty, greedy, and rude, with a rare gem of a nice one.

NHBL, I would like to say that I always say "please" and "thank you" to cashiers and store personnel. I go out of my way to recognize them as people who work a job, rather than verbal targets. I also agree that this season brings out the worst in people, especially in hard times such as these. Hang in there.
 
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NHBL You have to rember that over 1/3 -1/2 of a stores business is made in this time of year .
 
Due to a large miscalculation in oil deposits, prices go up to $200 a barrel. The economy collapses shortly after. As there is no more gas for cars, people cant get to their christmas shopping. Not that there is anything on the shelves to buy anyway :)
 
Due to a large miscalculation in oil deposits, prices go up to $200 a barrel. The economy collapses shortly after. As there is no more gas for cars, people cant get to their christmas shopping. Not that there is anything on the shelves to buy anyway :)

I'll top that one--Yellowstone erupts/Dies the Fire/World War Z. Most Americans are dead, the rest too busy starving to death.

I guessling OP wanted a less drastic solution--but this does put Black Friday in perspective. :)
 
You could probably derail the commercialization with something far less apocalyptic, but still drastic. A Unabomber type lunatic targets secular Xmas celebrations and symbols, big dept stores, Santas for hire, big displays of lights or Xmas trees on public sites. Think of how drastically Halloween celebrations changed just because of the urban legends of kids being poisoned during trick or treat.

Or simply use a more fundamentalist USA POD.
 
My hopes...

I wasn't looking for a cataclysmic end to the shopping season--just looking for something that would bring a return to some degree of moderation. I was thinking that the curtrent recession might bring some moderation, but it's done nothing of the sort.

I'm thinking, looking back, that the rise of the credit card is part of what spurred the excesses, but now, they're more or less built in.
 
I wasn't looking for a cataclysmic end to the shopping season--just looking for something that would bring a return to some degree of moderation. I was thinking that the curtrent recession might bring some moderation, but it's done nothing of the sort.

I'm thinking, looking back, that the rise of the credit card is part of what spurred the excesses, but now, they're more or less built in.

NHBL,
Have you noticed the irony in the replies to your post? So many advocate death and destruction to prevent "shoppers who are nasty, greedy, and rude...Christmas shopping season berings out the nasty of so many people."

Perhaps AH.com is the wrong place to ask your question.
 
NHBL,
Have you noticed the irony in the replies to your post? So many advocate death and destruction to prevent "shoppers who are nasty, greedy, and rude...Christmas shopping season berings out the nasty of so many people."

Perhaps AH.com is the wrong place to ask your question.

Hey, my suggestion was pleasant. Plus it scored more vacation time for all of us.
 
Well, for a slightly morbid What If....

1 BC - Immaculate Conception
0 AD minus 3 days - Mary continue to bitch at an belittle Joseph (not the POD, as women are by nature bitchy)
0 AD minus 2 day - Mary continues bitching, Joseph continues to take it, but is growing angrier
0 AD minus 1 day (POD) - Joseph gets pissed at Mary, and, mid-bitch, leans over and backhands her. STFU, bitch!
0 AD minus 1 day - Mary falls off the donkey on her way to the inn
0 AD minus 1 day - Miscarriage. D'oh!

While December 25th is not a Christian holiday, Christmas is, and signifies the birth of Jesus. If you take away the birth of Jesus and the basis of the Christian faith, odds are you eliminate Christmas as we know it.

Would something replace Christmas shopping madness, as we know it? Probably. But what would it be?? Would Islam be the dominant religion in the world, and would we celebrate their holidays? Would Judaism have risen to new heights? With no Christian conversion of Constantine, would Paganism have been the dominant religion of Europe to this day?

Who can say?

:cool:
 
Well, if C.S. Lewis's essay " Xmas and Christmas: A Lost Chapter from Herodotus" was published a bit more widely and became a subject for discussion, it could change things among the religious...
 

sprite

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I just returned from another day working retail, dealing with shoppers who are nasty, greedy, and rude, with a rare gem of a nice one. Christmas shopping season berings out the nasty of so many people. It got me to wondering--what sort of POD would bring the season of greed back to a more joyous time--and put the shopping madness to rest for all time? A time when people exchange a few thoughtful gifts, rather than this buying frenzy? I know some do, but for so many, it's all about the gifts.

Perhaps if the Santa Claus legend hadn't taken off? Could that help?

A more drawn out festival season, with gifts spaced, like hanukkah. Or maybe the earlier adoption of internet shopping :) i did all my christmas shopping online in early december and it has all been delivered wrapped and ready to go (sorry, i can't help being unbearably smug about this).
 
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