overyourhead

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...
Is it me or does Christmas come round faster every year? Maybe it's because I'm getting older and the years go faster. Or maybe it's that I'm truly realising what a blatantly commercial exercise the whole thing is and dread it financially.

Nothing new in thinking that, of course. Christmas has long been considered an excuse to sell junk to punters. 'Our most important selling period'. But why do we spend so much money at this time of year? 40% of all sales occur in the run up to Christmas. Suddenly we are gripped with this urge to buy things. Spend money we often don't have. Why? Is it simply because we feel we have to? Present pressure, if you like.

I heard a commentator on the radio the other day saying that you shouldn't buy Christmas presents. His reasoning was summed up in a single question. "Can you remember what you got for Christmas last year?" The answer he predicted would be "No, I can't". So he concluded that why bother wasting all that money when no one remembers what they gave or what they got. It's pointless.

I related this to Mikey last night and his response was, "that's all very well but you'd sure remember if your mother didn't get you anything!" Fair point.

I know people who 'opt out' of Christmas entirely. Stay indoors and watch TV. Others I know go away for Christmas. Go somewhere hot and lie on a beach. I can hardly blame them. As this year I am completely devoid of Christmas spirit. This year I can't wait for it all to be over. This year Christmas is cancelled.

Bah, humbug!

(And any ghosts of Christmases past, present and future who may be reading this can shove off!)