I find this ridiculous...

A momnth of holidya disp[lays etc is more than enough for me actually. Here in Minnesota we saw Halloween stuff on display in late August even. This is nuts. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~

I SO understand where you're coming from. I love Christmas, but sometimes I love Thanksgiving moreso because it's not nearly as commercialized. The kids aren't so present-crazy, and everyone can just sit back and enjoy each other without arguing over presents and who got more and all that stuff. I hate people's attitudes around Christmas time, especially since the employees can't say Merry Christmas anymore...which is stupid. People get so pushy and angry when they can't get exactly what they want from the store! I went shopping the day after Thanksgiving ONCE....never again!! I've never seen such a mob-like state out of people in my life! I look for one present for someone that will truly mean something, something they'll use and treasure for a long time. It doesn't matter how much it costs, as long as it came from the heart!!

it bothers me too. my mother in law is really stuck on the whole present thing. we have 3 kids and we don't make much money. so each year we try to make up gift baskets of a bunch of small things they like. i actually put thought into them but she doesn't ever seem to care. they used to try to get us to buy them big expensive things every year. when my husband and i first got married we were told that his dad wanted a new video camera and we had to fork over $200 for our share of it. he has never used that video camera. why he had to have it i don't know but that was the last time i forked over that much money for anything for them. i wish she could just appreciate being with us on the holiday and that we try to get her something nice. instead she makes us feel like crap because we couldn't get her something as nice as she thinks she deserves.

I am just waiting for them to start putting things out for Christmas in July. I hate that they have to move Christmas things over to make room for Halloween things then the same for Thanksgiving things. What ever happened to the days when the day after Thanksgiving then the Christmas things went up in stores and saw commercials on TV.

I do believe that the true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus and a time for friends and family to get together and celebrate that. I too agree that people take gift giving and getting too seriously. If they don't get the best gift ever they throw a fit. I think people forget that it is better to give then receive and people forget what Christmas is all about. With Christmas coming early, I like it, just so you don't have to wait till the last minute to buy gifts. I never do that any way with any gift.

I know I've seen other stores who have their Halloween items, and their Christmas stuff out as well. I didn't think that it would be out so early either. And although I may know the true meaning of Christmas, there are still some people who just think of Christmas as a chance to get gifts. I don't give out fancy gifts. If I'm going to give a presesnt, I try to get something that I think the person can use. I have bought gifts for two of my family memebers, just b/c I saw it and thought of them.

Yes it is true, Christmas decorations, toys, music all come earlier each year. It is all about making money off this Holiday. Many people are forgetting the true meaning behind Christmas. One radio station I listen to even started some Christmas contests, we haven't even reached Halloween yet.

I think it stinks, the commercialization of Christmas that is, or any holiday for that matter. Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier each year and yet it is still the same day. I would not be surprised if this became "the year of the recycled gift". You know giving that beautiful silk blouse that your aunt got you a year ago that is just not your color to a friend. Or the red tie (third one) that the boss gave dad for his birthday may go to his college bound son. People just can't afford all the expensive commercial gifts this year. I think we will hear more of the "Handmade Christmas" also. I know my family won't be getting as much, but then I cut back last year already so it won't be as much of a shock this year.

I think the true meaning of Christmas has surely being missed...Jesus birthday. I only think about buying present in early December, that's when it feels right, and then i put my Christmas tree up, crib for the children to count down the days of Christmas. They get very excited

I despise what Christmas has become and it's such an insult to Jesus. When my boys were small, I started a tradition in our family. I made a birthday cake for Christmas--the boys got to help (well, mostly licked the beaters!) and frost the cake and decorate it and at Christmas dinner we all sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. Now my boys come for Christmas and we do the same thing now that they're adults. It's the high point of the day! I also hang a sign outside on my porch each Christmas to remind people--especially children who may not know--of the reason for the day. It says "Happy Birthday, Jesus!"

Growing up, we never got really expensive gifts, I think the most expensive thing I ever got, as far as store bought things, was a Barbie. That was the year they came out with the bendable legs. But, even as a child, my best memories of Christmas come from being able to celebrate a special time with family. My kids were taught very early on that the gifts were not what the season was about. We participated in a Lion's Club thing called Christmas Angels. My daughter was always thrilled to get to go shopping for another child, then go with her dad to deliver Christmas presents to someone who had way less than she did. Even now, at 27 and 23, they are most excited by the Christmas ornaments that my mom makes and sends to each grand child and great grand child every year. Last year, my mother in law went through every old picture she had, made copies of the ones that needed copies, then gave each of her kids, and each of her grown grand kids, a box of pictures that pertained to their lives up to that point. My son says that and the ornaments are gifts that nobody will ever be able to beat. My Christmas decorations do not go up until mid December, and sometimes, the tree doesn't go up until the night before. Nothing is under the tree until Christmas eve. Another thing that irritates me about the whole Christmas season, is the fact that it has now been made Xmas. Ok, I have made this thing way too long, and I do apologize. But, YOU started it.*L*

Well, here in Kuwait we never celebrate Christmas at all except for those foreigner and Christian to celebrate this kind of celebration and I guess it is normal that they will keep those people and inform that it is Christmas already and I do not see it ridiculous friend......

The local Wal*Mart had Christmas decorations in the isles a month before Halloween stuff was put out. I Love the fact that Christmas is Seen as so much more valuable than halloween. on the other hand, the move is getting on other nerves. it's been several years since I could play Christmas music at the family get together because everyone is sick of it by the time Christmas gets here. I Tried to start the birthday cake for Jesus idea when I was around 8 or 10 but it never really caught on in our house. i'm not sure why since we all love to bake and to eat cake. It always seemed to make sense to me to celebrate Jesus birthday the same as we celebrated ours.(at least the cake and celebration part) Being of German descent I learned the origin of St Nicholas early(he was a german hero after all). the idea that his spirit of love and giving lived on through others makes Santa more real than most of the superstitions many adults still subscribe to. Celebrating the Day God gave His Son for us by living a spirit of generosity is reasonable. Spoiling our kids with all the latest and greatest that we'll still be paying for when the fireworks go up on July 4 is not. The first Christmas I really understood and enjoyed the pirit of giving(as opposed to getting) was a year when the money was tight. A lot of what we got and gave that year was homemade. A family moved into a rundown house next door. They took the place because it was cheap and they had much less then even we did. Mom got us kids together and we rounded up some of the extra Christmas decorations. The place didn't have good insulation or heating so we Got good blankets togethr, made fresh bread and cookies and other food then went next door to deliver Christmas. I always loved Christmas but that year it bacame truly special. Celebrating the season became a mission and i always try to make sure others can celebrate as well. it doesn't take a tree(my first one was a picture of a christmas tree on a blanket I hung on the wall). You don't need lights(I decked my apt porch out only to realize there were no outlets to turn it on and I was just hanging garland). You don't even need "preseants" as such. You need the comfort of friends and family and love and the true spirit of the season. A couple years ago Another Christmas reminded me of that. My sister and Brother in law had been deployed to Iraq for the invasion. Care packages sometimes to months to reach them. My mom sent a Christmas tree and decorations disguesed in a couple of carepackages of other stuff. When she opened the package at morning formation and the soldiers saw what was in there it took under 5 minutes for the tree to be assembled and decorated as all the company jumped in to celebrate the season. The care package had arrived on Christmas eve after haveing been shipped back twice due to errors in shipping and then delay for weeks in transit. God made sure that the efforts of our family weren't lost. My wife and I sent Smaller personal trees and Decor to both of them(as they were serving about 20 miles apart with no contact)they and thier fellow soldiers got to celebrate the season just by being together around the tree and knowing that someone loved them and was thinking of them on the birthday of our Savior.

I saw that on to news today too. I was shocked to see that they already are lowing there prices for christmas toys even thought it's not even holloween hasn't even came yet. It's sad that people are that conserned over christmas and gifts :/

We just give cakes to the neighbor hood, im not a christian since i believe in JESUS i would like to buy cakes for my friends and my friends give it to me and we all goto church on that special day that's all , we never got any gifts for anybody on Christmas , but i have planned to gift my guy this year , this is going to be my first gift to be gifted to my guy that is for Christmas, im earning a lot and saving money for this only :) I dont know its upto them , if they want to get gifts and walmart wants to make a good profit what wrong in it?

I totally agree with you. Christmas has lost its meaning to so many. I use to sit and bawl at times I could not buy my girls tons of gifts for Christmas. And I would hear everyone I knew stressing about not being able to afford it all, dreading the holidays, buying on credit that would take years to pay off. But our family has decided to get out of the commercialization of the holidays and either a gift from the heart to all and if that is too hard we do it for the kids only. And the best part of the holidays is not to see how many gifts you can give or get, it is the nice dinner and us all getting together to share the special day. And so no one gets stuck doing it all we all bring a dish to pass. I honestly think more and more families will do the same especially with the high cost of everything. And it will be a good thing. It would also be nice if each family could do something nice for those less fortunate. Doing stuff like that would be more of a way in honoring Jesus birth.

Oh this stuff drives me crazy also! I have been in countries that don;t celebrate Christmas for the last few years but back home it always used to amaze me how each year the decorations and Christmas references seemd to come earlier and earleir each year. And not just Christmas either, even Easter with the chocolate eggs being out on shelves literally months before Easter was due! It IS a shame that commercialization is slowly but surely overshadowing the true meaning of these times of year. Regardless of whether we are religious or not, the meaning of Christmas is still the same!

The celebration does seem to be starting earlier each year, LadyMarissa. I believe that the reasoning behind Wal-Mart's push to rush the season is because of the troubled economy. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to see that for many people this year Christmas will be a great deal more conservative shopping wise.

I hate it too. When I was a kid, Christmas was so much more. We caroled and my parents drove us around checking out the lights. There was foods that we only got at this time of year and many family and friends stopping in just celebrate...no gifts. Of course there was the anticipation of gifts on christmas but we had no idea what we'd get and we loved everything we got. I refuse to buy into this competition...financially I can't, anyway. More than that, it ruins the fun of xmas. Our family gathers on xmas eve and we celebrate and have a good time. We do a yankee swap and let the little kids each open a small gift. In the morning, we all get up and the men cook breakfast. We do exchange gifts but they are inexpensive and thoughtful ones. I do a bit more for my 14 yr old than I do the grown kids but even at that, it is still whatever I can afford and nothing elaborate. I have 4 girls and we do a lot of baking and crafts together during this time. The good memories we have are what is important.

I agree with you. A small gift should be appreciated as much as any other. I think that it has become very commercialized as you have said. Let all just focus on the real meaning as much as we can. That is really what it is all about. Lets put Christ back into CHRISTmas!