rivettingKateTaylor

A newsreader caught my attention this week with a headline about the bleak Christmas ahead for many families.

But the story was about the price of imported toys and items with the dropping dollar. It made me mad. This situation is one of the very reasons my children are not allowed to go “trick or treating” at Halloween (besides the fact we live in the middle of the country). It is commercialisation at its best.

Christmas is about spending time with family and friends, not to mention celebrating the birth of Jesus – remember, hence the name Christ – mas.

Christmas is about getting together and eating too much, not about getting heaps of things that will either break before the day is out or that you will never use.  It’s about spending some time about what a person might like and/or appreciate, not about how much or how little you spend.

In the past couple of years, we’ve looked for things that can be “used, done, read or eaten” on Christmas Day. Santa has also followed my request for games and toys that will keep the kids amused on Dec 25. And 26. And 27. And through January. Hopefully.

Enought about Christmas. I have already seen decorations and other festive items for sale in the Warehouse. I will scream if they start playing Jingle Bells on the radio before the start of December (three weeks is bad enough). Don’t get me started on the Hot Cross Buns at Pak’n Save last week!

Our school PTA has its big fundraiser tonight – a Quiz and Auction with more than $4000 worth of donated items to sell or giveaway. Unfortunately we have ended up clashing with about three 40ths and a couple of 60ths but with any luck, the 13 teams of six that we have registered will open their cheque books and go home relieved of a few hundred dollars!