Tis the season

Now that you are all safely tucked into your turkey-induced comas after celebrating the holiday invented by Lincoln to try and reconcile feelings between the North and South by reminding them to be thankful by commemorating the murder of the indigineous people and the stealing of their lands, you will be able to get plenty of rest for the big day of shopping you have in front of you.

Sales start at 4am. That's for all of those who can't get up at 5, but have no problem staying up until 4. Before you set your alarms, ask yourself one question: Do we really need it? I've been making my gifts for the past 10 years. Everyone appreciates my presents more than all the store bought crap combined. I spend a fraction of what everyone else is spending. And people aren't stuck with more useless junk.

The gross commercialization of the holidays has destroyed what the season is about. For me, it's about hope. The Horned God is dead, but the Green Mother holds his life in her womb, ready for rebirth in the Spring. If you're a Christian, then shame on you for taking all the pagan traditions, using them as your own and, eventually bastardizing them into what they have become.

Remember, we have only one planet and it has finite resources. Perhaps instead of buying your brats 47 new plastic toys that they won't appreciate in 2 weeks time, you could teach them some real values. Teach them that this time of the year is supposed to be about helping, sharing and giving. Not about how much you can accumulate under a synthetic tree.