Quick glances: Holiday Madness

Yesterday as I sat to have lunch on my break I decided to download a book on my iphone. Ebooks are not my thing, I'm the kind to buy old used books with yellow pages and a dusty smell, but the boredom of eating alone encouraged me to download. I browsed for a few minutes on the helpful app. and finally decided on Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy. I remember attempting to read this book a couple of years ago, but desisting from finishing it. I guess I was too young to really appreciate the literary masterpiece. I read on for minutes, only glancing up occasionally to see the complete madness that the holidays have become. People walking rapidly bumping into each other, some sweating, and others with barely enough arm space to carry more shopping bags. On one of my quick glances I caught an interesting glimpse of a lady nearly dragging  a pretty little girl, maybe 5 or 6 years old with blonde hair and an upset face, forcing her to walk quicker, and I couldn't help but think of what an erroneous idea we've made of the holidays. I mainly blame the market and their manipulative strategies to make society believe that the main point of the holidays is to buy nice things for everyone who is special to you, therefore turning it into a consumerist society. I must admit that I've also fallen into the holiday madness, year after year, where the importance of a gift is forced to be of equal value to the importance of the affection you may feel for someone. I guess its product of the society we live in, we've made it a tradition. I'm sure there are countries where getting together to share a meal is much more important than receiving a gift. For example, in Cuba people don't have the financial possibility to give presents to everyone who might be special to them, should this make them less special? Yeah, I didn't think so either. 

Sure it feels great to receive nice things but, I'm very difficult with material gifts, it almost feels like torture to be put on the spot of opening a gift, but than again I understand that it is a way for family to actually show their love and appreciation towards me. I still rather have a nice dinner, or just spend a day doing other things that will become great memories... It is absolutely helpless to tell my family I don't want gifts, and it will also be pointless if they told me not to buy them anything as I refuse to receive and not give. Anyway, for now there is no solution to change how things work, as it is so deeply rooted in North American culture and tradition, but it does serve as food for thought. 

What are your thoughts on this?

Enjoy your Monday, and if you're brave enough join the madness!

:) 

ANA