A Materialistic Christmas

A question that keeps running through my head and has been since Friday, is "when did Christmas become so materialistic?"  When did the true meaning just disappear and turn into fighting over who could get the maximum number of  the latest gadget.

Stores decided to open before Thanksgiving was over and people actually gave up spending time with their families around the dinner table to camp out in front of their favorite stores.  It was a race about who was going to be the first in line to get a gigantic TV (although there were only 20 set aside for the HUGE Black Friday savings), or who would be there to get an iPad for $200 even though it will be obsolete in 3 months.

Fighting for the all mighty dollar, this store decided to open at 10pm, this one decided to open at 9p.

It makes me sad.

The employees of these stores had their Thanksgiving cut short if they got one at all.  All this craziness so the store they worked at could earn the almighty dollar, and the patrons could turn into crazy maniacs all to save a buck or two on a TV, computer etc.

Does this look like the spirit of Christmas to you?

This was the scene at a WalMart in Porter Ranch, CA, somewhere in the mess of it all a woman allegedly pepper sprayed people just so she could get her hands on the XBox deal of the day.  People were hurt just for a silly video game system.

Or better yet a mob for $2 waffle makers.

Yep, all that over a waffle maker.

What about the man in West Virginia shopping in Target, who had a hard attack and got trampled.  He was finally helped out by a few nurses who were shopping but later died at the hospital.

How about the genius ( and I use that sarcastically) in San Leandro, California that thought, forget this Black Friday shopping.  I'll just shoot them when they come out of the stores then steal their stuff.

I don't know what your beliefs are about Christmas.  I know what mine are, it is a birthday celebration for a baby that was born in Bethlehem and named Jesus.  I for one don't think that this is how he would want his birthday celebrated and I'm sure he shed a few tears on Friday.

Christmas has lost its true meaning, it seems that these days it is all about buy, buy, buy.   What store can out do the other.

It  hurts my heart.  Why are we so worried about buying the latest gadgets to give as gifts this holiday season?  What happened to giving a gift from the heart. What happened to sharing precious time with the family and being happy with a stocking filled with fruit and nuts and two or three presents under the tree.

I mean what do the gifts mean after opening gift number 20, they become a stack of stuff collecting dirt that hardly get touched?

When asked what do I want for Christmas, my answer is usually, "nothing."  As for my child he gets a few gifts and the gift that Santa brings.  We try to teach him the true meaning of Christmas.

Jesus, was only brought 3 gifts on his birthday.