November 3rd, AND its already started...ho ho ho!

[AsahinaKimi]

Yesterday morning, November 2nd, I went in to a coffee shop here in San Francisco. The music playing was entirely Christmas Music.

Down at pier 39, the huge Christmas tree is up.. and ready for lights..


Downtown Market Street, the Christmas tree Wreath lights are already in place....


Thanksgiving is WEEKS away.. and already the push for Christmas here in the city. I am not about to start the war on Christmas but, couldn't someone just wait a few weeks??


Maybe because of the lousey economy stores are trying for an early push to get those Christmas dollars by encouraging early gift buying... but I don't think this is going to be a good year for that.. with all the crap going with the major corporations and banks...


Anyone else seeing early signs of companies starting to promote Christmas in late October and early November? Anyone else starting to feel the pressure to "buy! buy! buy! now!"

[GoCubsGo]

1. I first started seeing Xmas decorations in August.

It gets earlier and earlier every year. I don't know why they don't just leave it out all year. And, folks wonder why I hate Christmas.

[AsahinaKimi]

4. and really ...

The last thing I wanted to hear with my early 7am breakfast was Deck the Halls, O come all ye faithful, Jingle bells, etc. Its clearly told me to avoid this place until after January 1st. Talk about IN YOUR FACE...

[deafskeptic]

18. Glad I'm not subjected to this.

There's something to be said for being deaf rl :P but I will grant that I'll be visually assaulted with reminders of the coming X-mass when store keepers and government put up the decorations and other reminders of the coming X-mas.

[formercia]

20. For a second, there, I thought you lived in a Muslim Country,

:rofl:

[MisterP]

33. now HERE's an appropriate Xmas song for the economic conditions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNace1KBqac

[PoliticAverse]

2. It used to be Thanksgiving was the barrier, but no longer...

Since Thanksgiving isn't really a good merchandising holiday it's going to be
Halloween right into Christmas now.

[HereSince1628]

3. Last saturday,.. I got "would you like a gift box"

in response to putting a bundle of socks and a pkg of t-shirts on the check-out counter.

Me thinks they ARE really desperate for holiday shopping

[snappyturtle]

7. Bingo! They ARE desperate! Rabid shoppers better get out there early

because I doubt stores will be abundantly stocked. The stores don't want any excess stock come year's end. imho

[AsahinaKimi]

9. Yesterday I went down town to the SF Mall...

I was basically looking for an Oakland Raiders jersey, (prices on these things are a bit high!) and after making the purchase was asked if I would like to have it gift wrapped for Christmas.. so yeah, I had that same experience too.. I just said "No thank you" and left. Already the Mall had some early decorations up...


meh.

[RC]

22. If they do it for free, tell them yes.

You get a box and wrapping paper for nothing. :woohoo:

[formercia]

5. We were commenting on that the other Day.

Christmas is all about Money. This must be more than a coincidence.

Thanks for bringing it up. :hi:

[AsahinaKimi]

6. I totally feel that way too

We all know how bad the economy is, how people are OUT OF WORK, or have been OUT OF WORK. Listen, if the BIG Stores started to Hire extra people for the up and coming Christmas season, I would totally be all for it. The amount of homeless and unemployed here is probably pretty much like every where else.

But this push ... to PUSH this GIANT wave of money spending.. Weeks and weeks before Thanksgiving, is purely Capitalism at its best and its worst!

:hi:

[formercia]

8. If the stores are depending on customers to spend a lot of Money

I have a feeling they are going to be very disappointed.

I do hope a lot of folks get hired early for the season. Temporary jobs are a make or break situation for many.

I agree with you about the music and ads this early. It's very annoying to say the least.

[AsahinaKimi]

11. I don't understand it...

Why do the department stores, Like Macy's..wait to hire temporary staff at the last part of November while pushing Christmas at the first of November? This has to about store profits.. right?

[formercia]

13. It's always about Money

The spirit of the Season is just for suckers.

I like giving presents, though.

[deafskeptic]

19. Guess Jesus isn't important.

Maybe what we're really celebrating is the birth of Mammon. :P

[redqueen]

10. deleted

[hobbit709]

12. The smell of desperation is in the air.

If I walk into a store playing Christmas music this long before Turkey Day, I make a u-turn and walk right back out. Whatever it was I was going to buy, I didn't need that bad.

[justabob]

14. I really hate seeing Christmas stuff out so early

You might appreciate this. A friend sent it to me knowing how much I hate the Christmas stuff on display before Halloween:

[formercia]

15. It seems to have become a Worldwide phenomenon

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Santa_Claus


In the last several years, I have been in the spirit of giving. I look at the hard times that people are going through and realize how well-off I am compared to many others. I try to share what little I have with those who are less fortunate, without getting caught up in the commercial side of the season.

[DCKit]

16. Yet they wonder why we wage war on X-mas....

even though the pushed it back more than two months and ruined it for us.


Yeah, I used to love Christmas. No more. You fuckers murdered it.

[babydollhead]

17. piped in Christmas Muzak makes me suicidal.

It makes my skin crawl. same with standing in line to check out, mean parents, crying children, I'll be home for Christmas slays me. The smell of sizing, fake cinnamon and eucalyptus oil, fuzzy pipe cleaners take it all away. Ugh. I will be under a rock until January 1.

[AsahinaKimi]

23. I really had a hard time pushing down breakfast

With COME ALL YE FAITHFUL blasting in my ears. Its almost as being bad as being lectured by a Born Again Christian, why I, as a Buddhist.. is headed for "their" hell... I don't think we have a hell..but you are sure trying to make one for me.. while I am trying to eat my breakfast!

[unionworks]

27. actually I read Buddhism

Does have a kind of hell...it's called ignorance. And it's heaven are different levels of enlightenment. Just my take. :)

[AsahinaKimi]

29. Yes I suppose that would be a sort of hell...

But there is nothing like what has been described to me as Chrisitan Hell. As for Christmas, or "kurisumasu" in Japan, its not a religous holiday. Its more like our Valentines day, considered to be a romantic holiday. Its viewed totally different there. I think because of that, I can enjoy the holiday, but I remember being in school, years ago and having kids tell me.."Must be tough for you not to be able to buy or get gifts at Christmas, because you are a Buddhist." On the contary, many Japanese do exchange gifts, but its mostly the little kids that get them.

For the people of Japan, New Years is the huge holiday. I even still get my red envelope
(called otoshidama ~　おとしだま)of cash from my parents. (Ususally its a 20 dollar bill. When I was going to the university, it was considerably larger for purchasing text books and other school items)

But locally I do exchange gifts with friends, and its nice to do that. I think what I object to the most, is to have it all seemingly pushed down my throat two months before the actual holiday.

Its a little hard to buy into the Good Will and Peace toward men, when we are still fighting a war, and allow people, some of whom, are Veterans of the very wars we fight, to remain homeless on the street starving to death.


I think the best gifts anyone can give, are donations to food pantries and homeless shelters this season.

I think with things as bad as it is with the economy the last thing anyone wants to be reminded of, is shopping for gifts they can't afford to buy, when they are so behind on basic utilities, rents and car payements.

[unionworks]

31. Thanks

That was interesting comparison of cultural traditions! As for myself, I find the Buddhist concepts to be much more reality based, as opposed to some imaginary lake of fire where bad people go, or a heaven where we get bored strumming harps and kissing gods rear for eternity. My exposure to Buddhist tradition came from 10 years spent studying Shaolin, which amounts to a drop in the ocean of that honorable tradition. Looking forward to reading more posts from you on D.U.!!!

[AsahinaKimi]

32. The other thing you have to understand...

Is that there are many forms of Buddhism. Whats practiced in Japan is not the same as what is practiced in Thailand, or even in Tibet. If you do a search on google, for Buddha images, you will see vast differences in appearance..of the Buddha represented by the people of China, Tibet, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, and even in Korea.

Here in San Francisco we have many different sects of Buddhist temples. I think mostly because we have so many Asians from so many different parts of Asia. In the area around Japantown, there are at least three or four different groups. That what I follow is called Jodo Shinshu (You can probably google info about it..if interested.) I understand that even in Japan there are differnt branches of Buddhist groups there.

Anyway..I have gone way off subject.. We can now return to our regulary scheduled program, already in progress! ^^

[laundry_queen]

21. We always see it start right after Halloween here

I'm in Canada and we always see it start early, probably because our Thanksgiving is already over and by November we're getting into some snow. The snow is so goddamn depressing, we have to look forward to SOMETHING, right?? :P

[mulsh]

24. SF Macy's had Christmas decorations up on Monday at least on

the first floor. I saw a little decorated tree in a shop window on Piedmont Ave in Oakland yesterday. let the games begin.

[area51]

25. Oh, yeah.

The xmas stuff came out on Nov. 1st in stores I went to, and some shopping centers have already put out decorations in their parking lots. And even before halloween, one dollar store I went to already had their xmas stuff out.

[Arugula Latte]

26. I've grown to despise Xmas imagery.

I used to love it when I was a kid, but now it gives me a pit in my stomach because there's so much overkill coming earlier and earlier. Bleah.

[redqueen]

28. I like it.

I don't sense any pressure to buy. I just like seeing the decorations, and hearing the music. I guess in at least that one respect, I will never grow up.

[Mudoria]

30. Same here.. I always look forward to this time of year