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children, when we took the time to
look into the encyclopedia and the
other reference works at the library,
when we read with our thinking
caps on the many articles that come
out in daily newspapers during the
Christmas season, we realized that
the origins of these customs were
not biblical at all- and, in fact, had
nothing to do with Jesus Christ of
Nazareth!
And children, until they are
taught differently, have an inspiring
respect for the plain truth!
So looking back on the many years
which I have
not
kept Christmas,
1
can with happy hindsight give many
more reasons now than when l first
quit observing this outstanding holi–
d'ay of the "Christian" calendar. Per–
haps you will benefit by the catalogu–
ing of sorne of those experiences and
the reasons that 1 have learned over
the years for not having to become
involved in what is not only the least
understood but the most misunder–
stood of social customs in the West–
ern world.
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1
CAN'TAFFORD IT
By the time you add up the cost of
decorations, special meals, travel ex–
penses, gifts and cards, time taken
off from work during a forced holi–
day season, etc., etc., it can often–
especially by the time you add carry–
ing charges and interest on those
things which have been put on cred–
it-amount to nearly ten percent of
your gross annual income that can be
spent on this occasion. You just have
to ask yourself- is
it worth it?
The
answer I had to give myself was–
abso/utely not .
By the time 1 examined my budget
in the light of the rising, inflationary
cost of living- by the time 1 realized
the serious investment that has to be
made ahead of time for my children's
education and for my own old age–
by the time 1 added up all the deduc–
tions from my paycheck and then
subtracted the absolutely necessary
amounts for the basics of living- by
the time 1 set aside a little for yearly
family excursions to sorne place on
The
PLAIN TAUTH December 1979
this beautiful earth that 1 have not
seen before-by the time 1 added in
the expense of those things which are
not necessary but which 1 would like
todo and be free todo (not
beforced
to do)- by the time 1 set aside a
little for unexpected occurrences and
all the other picky things that belong
in a budget, 1 realized that 1 had
nothing left over to pay for financing
the biggest business bust of the
year!
Whenever 1 me"ntion this to other
people, I usually get hearty agree–
ment and a wistful look from them
that says they wish they had the
gumption to cut free from this ridicu–
lous expense themselves.
2
ACCENT ON GET
Materialism and commercialism so
domínate this "season to be jolly"
that there can surely be no soul so
blind as not to see it. Although it is
the season of giving-and everyone is
propagandized to feel evil if they are
not involved in that" giving- the over–
tones, from the candy store on the
corner to tbe department store that
has everything and the mail-order–
catalogue businesses, obviously put
the stress on getting them more busi–
ness during tbis time of year than any
other comparable season. In fact,
many commercial ventures rely on
tbis season of the year for their
sur–
viva/.
Whenever a question is asked after
tbé twenty-fiftb of December is past,
it is generally, "Wbat did
you
GET
for Cbristmas?" Each vies with the
otber, determined to express the idea
tbat be
got
more.
Nobody likes to ¡)ay taxes, and I'm
sure that if there were a way out
everybody would take it and cease
paying taxes immediately. But taxes
are demanded, and it is a criminal
offense not to pay them. Being taxed
in addition to that by tbe crass com–
mercialism and social pressure
mounted at Christmas time is some–
thing 1 have found the strength to
refuse. lt is
not
a crime to refuse to
go along witb the crowds in their
rusn to fulfill the season's demands-
in fact, there's a certain sense of sat–
isfaction in baving been able to be
assailed with all of that accumulation
of social trends and business furor
and
withstand
it all, independent,
watching the madness from the side–
lines.
There's enougb of the "go now and
pay la ter," the "put it on credit and
don't worry about payments until
February," tbe "wby use casb wben
you can use credit?" syndromes go–
ing on in the world as it is. 1 not only
don't have to wohy about payments
until February, but 1 don't have to
worry about payments even when it
gets to be Márch or April or Mayor
June or July or for bowever long
those holidays may continue to cost
the average person for his response to
Christmas commercialism.
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GMNG IS SPECIAL
Withdrawing myself from the social
demands of giving
on command,
of
being obliged to give things 1 can't
afford to people to whom 1 don't
want to give-who feel the same way
about me and wouldn't like what 1
give them
anyway-doesn't
mean
that 1 have given up giving. My chil–
dren, my wife, my family and close
friends receive gifts from me, or 1 do
nice things for them, at
spontaneous
times that a re
special- just
between
me and the one to whom 1 give. That
way the gift is much more special.
The receiver realizes that it doesn't
have to be done. The thought behind
the gift does count more than the
gift. All the giving is not done in just
one season. Special joy comes from
giving and receiving between people
who !ove each other-and it is spread
over the
whole year.
Because it is special, care and
thought beyond the mad rusb of the
commercial season are lavished
uniquely on the
one
gift at the
one
time for tbe
special
occasion which 1
find stands out much more in the
memory of tbe giver and the receiver
than any Cbristmas gift ever could.
This way
I'mfree
to give, not
bound
to give- and 1 find this freedom re–
freshing!
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