Recently I ran across a thought?

Question

And once again it’s midnight Christmas eave/Christmas morning and just like last year, I'm sitting here with my glass of wine, listening to my roommate snoring softly, and thinking about the meaning of this holly day we are all about to celebrate.
Recently I ran across a thought… and have been posting it as part of the various answers I’ve been righting in Y!A, as well as in Yahoo IM.
“And during this holiday season let us all stop to remember the true meaning of this celebration… That Santa died for all our MasterCards.” –Author Unknown-
Yes it’s funny. But it’s also poignant too. There was a time once when A toy for each child in the house, and a sweater for your spouse… A big meal on the table, and an orange in each sock… A real tree strung with popcorn, a trip to church in the morning and caroling in the neighborhood… And all of it with you family. That was Christmas

NOW we consider Christmas to be a reason to out purchase or neighbors. In this day and age of runaway unemployment, businesses all want us to believe that if an unemployed auto worker doesn’t give his mailman a twenty dollar gift card from Bed Bath and Beyond… He’s somehow cheep. Some how we have all been led to believe that Christmas is about stress and spending… That capitalism is what we are celebrating.
I think it’s time we all sat down and took a moment to remember the true meaning of this celebration… That Santa didn’t die for all our MasterCards.
Hugs, and Marry Christmas,
PennyAnn

Answer 1

Sometimes it takes not having any money to buy any gifts or a turkey or ham with all the trimmings, not having a "reason" for cheer in your life, to see the true joys and splendor of this time of the season. Cashing in pop cans to buy a toy for a kid you don't know... when you have no money for food or necessities.
Getting a knock on your door Christmas eve and having some friends who are hurting financially themselves travel 100's of miles to deliver 3 large baskets of food. That should have been the ultimate moment of the season, but it wasn't. It was the hugs that they gave. Reaching out to help others, even with something as inexpensive as a hug or a smile...
My bread cast upon the water really brought me back much more then I gave. This will go down as one of the most memorable Christmas' I have ever had.
The stores and the advertisement agencies can have their version of the holiday spirit, I prefer the one I just lived.
Take a sip of the wine and smile while she snores. We truly are fortunate.
Dawn

Answer 2

Well Penny,
I will respond to your question with lyrics to one of my favorite artist Pink Floyd. High Hopes
Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begun

Along the Long Road and on down the Causeway
Do they still meet there by the Cut

There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps
Running before time took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The nights of wonder

Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some inner tide

At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world

Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we've been so many times

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river

Forever and ever

Answer 3

I agree we should remember the true meaning of Christmas. It is the time when we are finishing the year and hopefully had a good harvest and we are about to enter the coldest time of the year when we have to ration the food supplies we have built up during the harvest so they last until we can grow and reap more crops or the spring lambs are born giving us fresh meat for the new year. In the hope of this and in celebration of last year we feast on the food we cannot expect to last through the winter and of course give friends and neighbours any surplus we can afford
It is of course Yule or the feast of saturnalia. Of course in this day and age we not longer need to preserve our food during the winter but we do still keep the tradition of giving and feasting and why not.

Answer 4

You have successfully beaten the head off of this dead horse with your commentary.

So I guess Christmas is commercial.

Answer 5

interestin thanks for the post.