By Steve Otto
Year after year I write an article making fun of Black Friday. That is the fake holiday were people get up early, the day after Thanksgiving, and they go out to buy expensive gifts for less money than usual. That holiday kicks off a monthlong spending spree that is supposed to be part of the holiday season. People buy gifts to their kids, their parents, other relatives, and friends. It is supposed to be the time of the year for giving, as if there is some kind of Christian value to it. But the reality is that is a time for massive profits for major corporations. Many retail companies use this month or two to make most of their year’s profit. This is supposed to be the day that Jesus Christ, the leading figure of Christianity, was born.
In reality no one really knows the date of Jesus’ birth. December 25 was chosen because there was already an important Roman holiday, Saturnalia. Since Christianity simply replaced the old Roman religion, they created a lot of Christian holidays to replace Roman ones. And Christmas is much more of a Capitalist holiday that it is Christian. It is a major money maker and that is way more importance that the birth of a god-man. Despite last year’s pandemic, spending actually went up rather than down. According to the National Retail Federation:
“Retail sales during 2020’s November-December holiday season grew an unexpectedly high 8.3 percent over the same period in 2019 to $789.4 billion, exceeding the National Retail Federation’s holiday forecast despite the economic challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, NRF said today. The numbers include online and other non-stores sales, which were up 23.9 percent at $209 billion.”
And they expect sales to be even higher this year. Again, according to theNational Retail Federation:
“Holiday spending has the potential to shatter previous records, as the National Retail Federation today forecast that holiday sales during November and December will grow between 8.5 percent and 10.5 percent over 2020 to between $843.4 billion and $859 billion. The numbers, which exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants, compare with a previous high of 8.2 percent in 2020 to $777.3 billion and an average increase of 4.4 percent over the past five years.”
While some people find this holiday full of cheer, others as me, find the orgy of buying to be disgusting. People buy all kinds of gifts that are over-priced and often unwanted or unneeded. Buying expensive gifts seem more like an obligation than a gesture of generosity.
As with years past, companies seem to start earlier every year. People don’t wait until the actual Black Friday to start the spending spree. The greed, the buying—it all seems to grow more every year.
Christmas is a capitalist’s dream. It has way more to do with making money and commerce than the god-man Jesus. I still celebrate the holidays—not as Christmas, but as the Winer Solstice. My ancestors celebrated in the middle of the winter, or the shortest day of the year. I can celebrate without religion or spending a lot of money on expensive gifts that no one really appreciates.
I love holidays and traditions, but I don’t like the celebrations of capitalism and a holiday designed to make those captains of industry rich.
So it is another year and a another colossal orgy of needless spending, a great time to be a capitalist.
