My confusion was in the idea of Christmas even being *able* to become more commercialized in *any* way, b/c it already seems chock-full of commercialization,

I know. Instead of putting the Starbucks xmas decorations up the day after Halloween, they could put them up in August. Which, at least, woudl be more religiously accurate.

While a burning and sinking Arizona would not make for a cheery celebratory cartoon on Google, not having anything seems like a missed educational opportunity. Like those I've seen for Bastille Day or national fill in the blank day.

Oh, Bev. Yuck. Having just been through a plumbing/water disaster, I sympathize.

I try to say "Enjoy your holidays," especially to people I don't know well (the chick at the back, salesclerks, the guy I get freelance work from), because that pretty much covers everything.

cereal:

Well, I think the issue in their eyes is, "You want our money, but you don't want to acknowledge why we're spending our money."

Yes, this. That's what I took from that, too.

Mom's toilet downstairs had malfunctioned, the "ball" part of the newfangled replacement for the cock and ball assembly had not reseated after she'd last flushed

The 10 year old in my head is saying, "Hehehehe. Cock and ball." I'm awful.

Sorry about the plumbing issues, Beverly. That sucks.

Hehehehehe. Cock and ball.

"You want our money, but you don't want to acknowledge why we're spending our money."

But why should they? They serve people celebrating-- special sales, Christmas decorations and cards with a religious theme, books with a religious theme--why do they have to do any more than that?

I'm working hard toward being much less contstrained by social expectations

I know a very happy couple who go all the way with the commercialization of the season while being unfettered by social expectations. They wait until the day after Christmas to do their holiday shopping. That way, they can give the prezzies they love and concentrate on the one thing they mutually love even more...BARGAINS.

Their families know they will be getting their gifts the second week of January. No one seems to mind...especially since they get such good stuff!

Gris, I'd celebrate them all. Of course, I am not one to turn down a good party and good food.

Outwardly, I will. I mean, I'll go to Christmas Eve Methodist service (and sing in the choir), I'll give and receive presents under the Christmas tree from all my family members, I'll play games with my little cousins and ask them what santa gave them, and I'll probably join Gershwin Girl for at least one, and possibly several, menorah lightings. It's what my thoughts are and should be that's confusing.

Since the near-universal adoption of email I don't do this any more. But I used not to send holiday cards at all, but instead write chatty letters to people who sent us cards. I had people begging me not to send a card so they'd get a letter sometime before Valentine's Day. I still scribble notes in most of our holiday cards...

... when I send them.

"You want our money, but you don't want to acknowledge why we're spending our money."

But.. but... but... sigh.

Actually, it reminds me of how occasionally I'll read someone saying talking about how "everybody wanted to help those tsunami victims on the other side of the planet, but nothing gets done for the Katrina victims." It's always easiest to see how you're being unfairly persecuted (to be fair, people displaced (unhomed?) by Katrina are getting the shaft in any number of ways, but it's not true that nobody wanted to help).

But why should they? They serve people celebrating-- special sales, Christmas decorations and cards with a religious theme, books with a religious theme--why do they have to do any more than that?

Well, they don't, obviously. But what I took away from the AFA's stance was that they think it's a bit hypocritical if stores don't explicitly state it.