A lot is said about Holiday commercialization, materialism, and our propensity to “lose the spirit,” like it’s a misplaced coat at a charity ball. I started out researching ye old Spirit intending to add my own voice to the chorus of those calling for a re-prioritized Holiday. I quickly noticed that, Black Friday fist fights aside, we ARE all prioritizing what matters in December. But we’re also being bombarded with messages that we’re a bunch of materially obsessed, selfish bastards.
Then it became obvious that the only people not displaying “The Spirit” are all of us writers and media outlets telling people they’re a bunch of Holiday derelicts. Not true. Here’s why we’re awesome humans this time of year:
- Nearly half of us give more in December than any other time of the year.
- We’ve started saying “Holiday” and “Season” instead of “Christmas” because there are more than eleven December religious holidays and many of us are less myopic and insensitive.
- We have been, as a society, steadily giving MORE of what we earn, year-over-year, since the 1970s. Thanks in part to “Giving Tuesday,” which I know is November.
- Research shows only 1% of us enjoy “shopping” most at the Holidays. The rest of us appreciate (in order of %) — being with family, celebrating our religions and making people happy.
So, pat yourself on the back Happy Holiday lovers. It really is the most wonderful time of the year.
Read the full article at, Bah Humbug BS, at Human Unlimited.