On Holidays and Greed
I have never liked Hallowe'en. Little at all about ghosts and spirits and the underworld has any appeal to me, I dislike dressing up in costumes, I dislike talking to strangers, I don't really like most candy, scaring people bores me and I am hard to scare (nor do I find it enjoyable), and I think vandalism[1] is disgusting. (Honestly, I never remember when it is Hallowe'en until I see random "creatures" walking around in the streets with bags.) If my disdain for this day and its festivities were not bad enough, it seems to me to have turned into a holiday of greed. Walking to sadeyedartist's house that night (Yay! I can walk there now), I passed no small number of groups of children. I heard one of them say, not, "Trick or Treat!” (which bothers me enough as it is,) but rather, "Give me candy!” Another group of children were really teenagers. Weren't they a little old?
But it is not just Hallowe'en.
Look at Christmas. The Hallowe'en decorations are barely down when stores put up Christmas ones. I love Christmas; it is one of my few true favorites. I am not opposed to gifts. But the commercialization of it bothers me extensively. I love it for its traditions. For so many nowadays, it seems to be little more than get, get get. What about give?
And what about Thanksgiving? It seems to me that it is less about being thankful than it is about pigging out.
America is not alone. In India, so my Hindi teacher tells us, they have a holiday called Holi that has generated into a chaotic and dangerous festival. Stores actually shut down for the day, because it becomes unsafe. The festival originally involved water in its ceremonies, but now water has been replaced by alcohol or even chemicals.
Maybe we should start calling them "gredidays" instead of "holidays".
But it is not just Hallowe'en.
Look at Christmas. The Hallowe'en decorations are barely down when stores put up Christmas ones. I love Christmas; it is one of my few true favorites. I am not opposed to gifts. But the commercialization of it bothers me extensively. I love it for its traditions. For so many nowadays, it seems to be little more than get, get get. What about give?
And what about Thanksgiving? It seems to me that it is less about being thankful than it is about pigging out.
America is not alone. In India, so my Hindi teacher tells us, they have a holiday called Holi that has generated into a chaotic and dangerous festival. Stores actually shut down for the day, because it becomes unsafe. The festival originally involved water in its ceremonies, but now water has been replaced by alcohol or even chemicals.
Maybe we should start calling them "gredidays" instead of "holidays".