I am a bit dismayed at how crass some of the "Xmas" commercials and ads for gifts have become. And the horrible stress.

Next year I want to celebrate Winter Solstice, with the traditions that historically belong to winter solstice (holly, tree, lights, warm fire, mistletoe, food, little gifts) and de-emphasize the presents. I'd rather Winter Solstice felt more like Thanksgiving or New Year.

Christ's Mass is a christian holy day. It doesn't matter one whit that Jesus was actually born in late summer, the day his birth is celebrated should be respected, not turned to a greed driven free-for-all.

People getting into fights in shopping malls after the best deals, feeling shamed into purchasing more than they can afford, taking gifts back to get what they "really" want, diamonds and cars offered up as ideal gifts in tv ads... none of that is the "spirit of the season" (Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Christ's Mass, Solstice, Saturnalia, Eid al Adha, Jul, etc.) as far as I'm concerned.