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.

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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.

Sir_Ernest: Pressure to keep the tradition of giving gifts for Christmas mounts as the 25th approaches. Amid all the commercialism of Christmas wherein the true meaning of the season is forgotten, there are some who remind us of this real message. Once we remember why we celebrate Christmas, it will not be difficult for us to reject the commercialism and give gifts that are meaningful and from the heart. It need not be expensive or popular (I personally value uniqueness in a gift) but the recipient must feel the love you have for him/her as you give your gift. After all, this season is about the sharing of the love of God more than anything else and if we keep our eyes focused on that, we would not have problems with commercialism.

rubberneck: What's with this "Tickle Me Elmo" doll? I've never seen a commercial for it, I've never seen it in stores, and to tell you the truth -- I've never seen anyone with one before. I don't have kids, and I won't for a while. But if my child asked Santa for a "Tickle Me Elmo" I would probably ask him/her why he/she would want some little, loud, vibrating, and downright annoying doll, that they're going to stop playing with in a week or two, if it doesn't run out of batteries before then? Plus, if you want to get one, you have to deal with some psycho who wants to charge you $3000 for one. To tell you the truth, I'd rather get my kids David Letterman's version: "Bite Me Elmo."

tjbowers: I was in a card store, and saw cards for "To the cat" and "To the dog," as well as "From the cat" and "From the dog." It disgusted me. Why is it that people feel the need to spend money (even if it is only $1 or $2) on a card, from the cat, which they wrote themselves, unless their pet is really special (in which case it's ok).

Christmas has become so commercialized that it has become a part of our culture to buy almost more than we can afford to spend. Marketing executives, hungry for money, pound the idea into our heads that expensive gifts equal the holiday spirit, that more money is more caring. I am not above this myself (I spent $40 on a book for my father), but wouldn't it be nice to be able to go to a store on Dec. 23rd and not have to wait an hour to buy one thing?