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This day after Thanksgiving, traditionally, is the beginning of the Christmas holiday season.
So, why have stores had their holiday decorations up for weeks? Why have Christmas ads been hitting the airwaves? Why isn’t Santa Claus still at the North Pole?
Forgive our "bah humbug" attitude, but aren’t things getting a bit out of hand?
Sure, merchants generally do well at Christmas. So, they reason, why not add a few days, even weeks to the shopping season and do even better. Their desire to make an extra buck or two, of course, is fueled by the willingness of consumers to spend.
Society is getting to the point Thanksgiving is but an adjunct of Christmas. Even Halloween is hearing the jingle of cash register bells as goblins and ghosts mix with reindeer and elves. Next thing you know, the Easter Bunny will be sprouting antlers and a glowing red nose. And people will be dreaming of a white Fourth of July.
Perhaps all of this would be fine if peace and goodwill were an integral part of the equation. But in the hustle and bustle of every day encounters, the message of the Prince of Peace is becoming increasingly obscured by the crass commercialization of the sacred holiday designated to commemorate His birth.
Somehow, as the next few weeks speed by, KSL hopes our viewers and listeners will take time to look beyond what the holiday season has become and focus with genuine admiration on why it began.
