This week: Green Chri$tma$

The enticements to spend a fortune on Chanukah or Christmas gifts begin as early as mid-October, and many small companies rely on holiday trade for as much as 50 percent of their annual business. The temptation -- or pressure -- to join in the spending spree can be overwhelming. But what, if anything, does this have to do with the meaning of the holidays themselves? Do we place too much emphasis on commerce at this time of year? If so, how can we avoid the temptation to spend all of our green when the town is decked out in red and green?

Read what others have said so far, and then tell us what you think.

See what Tripod members had to say about low-cost gift-giving in the last survey. For other past survey results, check our survey archive.

A new Work & Money survey is published each Wednesday.

---

Comments or Questions:

vandeneynden3: I figure, "Succumb to the commercialism. Heck, Christmas only comes once a year." If people complained about society's commercialism all year long, I might be worried that there was a serious problem. Somehow, though, almost all of this sort of complaint comes in the Christmas months. As long as people are "immune" to it for the other nine months of the year, why worry?

96skb: As much as expensive gifts, parties trees, and decorations make Christmas exciting, it's nice to remember that commercialism doesn't necessarily bring happiness. Right now, thousands of parents are scrambling to get "Tickle Me Elmo," not because their children have been pining for it, but rather because they don't want to be the only parent who didn't buy it. Meanwhile, the kids might play with the cutesy giggling doll for five minutes and put it down.

So what's the point? Why all this materialism and chaos for things we know won't matter on the 26th? Call me sentimental, but it's nice to look for the reasons why Christmas is a special holiday such as family, friends, giving, spirit, hope... And for those of us who are lucky enough to enjoy the Christmas spirit in comfort and style, we ought to remember that Christmas is about gifts that last and are remembered (love, happiness, togetherness) and not whatever toy that happens to be popular at the moment.

halsted: This year, I had money to spend, but found myself putting off Christmas shopping -- as I still am -- 'til the last possible minute. I haven't even sent out cards yet. This is strange, for me, as I am one of those compulsive people who feels the need to buy all the gifts and send out all the cards at least a week before Christmas Eve. But this year ... there is something so totally wrong in the 'air,' as it were, about the season. I let a woman who seemed to be in a hurry get in line in front of me at Wal-Mart the other day, and I thought she was going to have a heart attack. She didn't know what to do. Since I wasn't in any real hurry, I offered her my place in line. She asked me several times "are you sure? are you sure?" and thanked me over and over again. As if it had never happened to her. The whole episode made me wonder ... have we really gotten so far away from the "Christmas spirit" as it is sometimes called that we don't recognize it any more?

Rachel_Ortiga: The "Tickle Me Elmo" craze is a bit too much . . . parents act like mobsters and just trample into stores to get it! A popular gift may not be an ideal gift for someone -- try something that has meaning and will invoke memories for times to come. I have to earn my shopping/spending money on my own (I'm in college) and I try to spend only what I can earn (or a certain percentage of what I allot) -- not only is this a good way to keep your money in check, it's also a good habit to have.