I wouldn’t say Black Friday has taken over. Shopping IS the holiday.
Since the Christmas that many celebrate in the U.S. has little or no connection with the religious observance of Jesus’ birth, we shouldn’t be surprised by the crass consumerism, violent shopping and overt greediness that marks the weeks leading up to December 25. And it’s not just what’s been described as the “consumer equivalent of genuflecting.”
There’s the crazy, over-committed party schedules and excesses of all kinds that mark the way many spend December. As for me and my house? We’ll do our best to keep the days quiet as we observe the discipline of Advent waiting, lighting candles, saying prayers, preparing for Christmas. And unlike many, we won’t be ending our Christmas celebration on December 25. We’ll just be getting started.
This message is an excerpt of a 2012 Women of the ELCA blog by Linda Post Bushkofsky.
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