Advent Conspiracy?

[Matt33]

Wait… This site adventconspiracy.org/
Has a presentation that was shown before the end of Mass on Sunday. What do you all think? It is a little odd to me, but perhaps its focus is well meaning. A major premise is to spend less this year. (not sure what that means for the failing economy) but it states that we should all buy one less gift this year. I’m just struggling to figure out which one of my kids isn’t getting a gift.

 

[purplesunshine]

1. calling something a conspiracy is just moronic and asking for trouble
2. limiting giving to “one gift” is just as bad as putting on a $$$ amount. An x-box is “one” but so is a guitar pick or a swiffer handle or a envelope of hot chocolate.
3. don’t mess with children’s holidays!!! I get so upset when I hear a selfrighteous parent saying how their child isn’t materialistic and their child dosn’t need a gift to understand christmas. No but we all like pretty things now and then, and unless you’re in the habit of buying pretty things now and then you use christmas as a chance to let the child have something new that they want. Children are incable of understanding higher concepts in a concrete fasion. Small children especally need physical reminders…which is why they get attached to a blanket or a passifier or a stuffed toy…it is symbolic of the love of a caregiver. Sure they can say they “understand” and they can seem to “understand” but mentally its no good. Every culture has a time of giving/sharing. Sometimes as simple as a harvest festivle where children can get food they like that they “never” get…or in a mid-winter festivle where they’d get hand-made toys farmers created out of bordem, or a spring festivle where they’d get new clothes or let out old ones and dance with flowers and such. Depriving a child of that is just cruel.

This is not to say that the website dosn’t have a good point. To get into debt over a holiday is also moronic. But it assumes (like I said in another thread) a very indigniant idea that we’re all these rich shoppers that are spiritually killing everyone else becuase we gasp purchase gifts.

 

[flyingfish]

1. don’t mess with children’s holidays!!! I get so upset when I hear a selfrighteous parent saying how their child isn’t materialistic and their child dosn’t need a gift to understand christmas. No but we all like pretty things now and then, and unless you’re in the habit of buying pretty things now and then you use christmas as a chance to let the child have something new that they want. Children are incable of understanding higher concepts in a concrete fasion. Small children especally need physical reminders…which is why they get attached to a blanket or a passifier or a stuffed toy…it is symbolic of the love of a caregiver. Sure they can say they “understand” and they can seem to “understand” but mentally its no good. Every culture has a time of giving/sharing. Sometimes as simple as a harvest festivle where children can get food they like that they “never” get…or in a mid-winter festivle where they’d get hand-made toys farmers created out of bordem, or a spring festivle where they’d get new clothes or let out old ones and dance with flowers and such. Depriving a child of that is just cruel.

I wonder about this too. Since when did sacrificing your money to get your child, or a relative, or a friend something nice become a bad thing?

To me it always looks like a way to feel good about being greedy and not buying anyone gifts ! (And not even greedy with money since you can buy cheap stuff if you’re poor or even make it, but greedy with time since we all know how hard it is to shop for gifts.)

 

[ljubim]

Don’t over-react… they’re just saying not to replace love with material things. Saying to buy one less gift sounds intense… but do we really have a pre-set number planned out to begin with? I think it’s all in the mentality of making Christmas more holy, less materialism.

 

[Bluegoat]

The thing is, it is addressing a real problem, which may not be obvious to those posting here who take a more religious view of Christmas in their family celebrations.

OTOH, it has become common for families to rack up significant credit card debt during the holidays; people getting trampled at places like Walmart seems to be a yearly event; and I know many families of young kids who struggle to no avail to reduce the number of gifts their kids receive to something that they can at least fit home in the car. These children are getting up to a hundred gifts, and are sometimes left in tears when the family insists that they keep opening for hours.

I actually think the Advent Conspiracy idea is well thought out on a number of levels. The idea of buying only one less gift (not only one) is doable for most, it makes people stop and think about what they are doing when they buy, and it isn’t so wild that people will just be turned off.

Secondly, Advent has actually pretty much disappeared, even among many Christians. The Christmas season begins right after Thanksgiving in the US, or Halloween here in Canada. There is no concept of a lead-in where we contemplate our need for a Savior, that includes things like fasting or extra prayer. To bring back some real observance of Advent in at least various CHristian groups would be a good beginning.

As for the conspiracy bit - to some extent I am sure it is just meant to be catchy and intriguing, and perhaps a bit of a joke. But OTOH, the message of the Advent Conspiracy is very counter-cultural at this point in time, one that is little seen in our larger culture. The vast majority of messages we see about Christmas are related to consumerism and buying. These things are presented as being fundamentally tied to the Christmas message of giving, but of course the level of consumerism we see today is far beyond anything that has traditionally been a Christmas custom.

 

[peary]

Wait… This site adventconspiracy.org/
Has a presentation that was shown before the end of Mass on Sunday. What do you all think? It is a little odd to me, but perhaps its focus is well meaning. A major premise is to spend less this year. (not sure what that means for the failing economy) but it states that we should all buy one less gift this year. I’m just struggling to figure out which one of my kids isn’t getting a gift.

you know, the priest could have discussed this with the congregation during his Homily, and could have used the Bible to “open up” the understanding of Advent and Christmas to his people. Internet presentations are not my ‘bag’. Why stop at ‘one’ gift? Why not eliminate them all?

I have always looked upon Christmas as a celebration of children, first, and the love that friends and family have for each other. I consider presents sort of like a “baby shower” which throws an entire different perspective on gifts. Baby showers are given for those who are about to be born or who are born already. The gifts given are those that will help that child grow - to attend to his or her needs at that time. And that is what guides my own choosing of gifts year after year.