Tisha Sharp

I take a lot of heat for it, but I have chosen NOT to bring Santa into our family Christmas celebrations because it's all about getting and nothing about giving. Christ received three gifts when he was born so I try to keep my buying to three major gifts for my son, too. We focus on the gifts we're excited to give to people and the time and love we put into them. We don't create lists of "wants". I think we all need to do all we can to make sure CHRIST is first and foremost in CHRISTmas.

I was one of the crazies out there today, and actually saved a couple hundred dollars over the course of the day. We celebrate the commercial version of Christmas, but we're not Christian, so it holds little religous meaning to us. I did have a really great time bonding with my girlfriend today, and we found lots of great things for our husbands and children, so I'm pretty happy! :)

I didn't go out but I did watch news clips of people rushing into stores knocking a few people down in the process. I did note a very interesting one in which a woman fell down and her wig went flying, which set her to crying, eventually someone helped her up but a number of people went around her, list in hand, purchases on their mind.
I'm not very religious, I do resent businesses treating people like cattle, turning them into a restrained mob; trying to be civil but damn it! They have to get "something!"

wow Tish, I didn't know all those things were attributed to Black Friday, this is the first year I ever remember it being called that. I didn't particularly like the term, but I didn't go out there and shop either, I am with you, and as Crystal stated about treating people like cattle, that is exactly how it is and people act like these material things are priceless, Lord help us!

LMAO...so now the first shopping day after Thanksgiving is "Black Friday" too, eh? Not for me: I avoid the mall like the plague after Thanksgiving. My gift giving acquisition is done in advance ;)

As for the deeper meaning of the holiday, I leave that to each individual to recall, retain, and observe. I observe it my way, while happily thumbing my nose at the politically correct, whiny activist morons who seek to gut the public displays of Christmas and Christianity at all costs.

I know this was a tongue-in-cheek post, but the deeper meaning is clear. This is what "the world" wishes, to turn a day in which we celebrate the birth of our saviour into a generic day of gift-giving -- actually, a day that screams of "Me! Me! Me!" We give more thought to shopping and getting a name crossed off our list, getting presents wrapped, and buying a gift that we give without a true sense of giving that comes from the heart. Then we sit and rip the paper off in anticipation of what someone else got for us.

It's not that giving gifts is wrong; the intent is what has been misplaced. Somewhere in all of this commercialism we have lost sight of the ONE reason Christmas exists, and as "the world" strips it away to just a shallow day of retailers trying to beat each other to the punch, we deny Him. Saying "happy holidays" in order not to offend someone who doesn't believe in it is offensive to ME. If they don't believe in CHRISTMAS, then why do they partake in the festivities?

Merry CHRISTMAS, Tish. :)

The Season of the Returns is the Giant La Brea Tar Pits of Hell. This is precisely why I tell the kids I don't want nothin' I don't need nothin' Bah Humbug.

Hey I fixed your link on my blogroll. Sorry for the delay. I've sucked at bloggin lately :)

I didn't go out shopping yesterday but it looked like there were some great deals...

I'm thinking I'll join up with Reverend Billy and The Church of Stop Shopping. I might even go on The Stop Shopping Gospel Choir's Shopocalypse Tour.
Hoss- Giant La Brea Tar Pits of Hell, indeed! Good one.

I'm with you on this one. However, while I stayed in bed and begged the children to be quiet while they watched Nickelodeon my husband went off to brave the sales with the baby in tow.

I'm still not sure it was worth it--but apparently it was worth it to him.

This is like the third blog where I've seen the shopping day after Thanksgiving referred to as Black Friday, and I had never heard that before. As for me, I spent a couple of hours in my favorite store, Target, but otherwise avoided the masses.

I'm with you all the way on both the presumption of retailers that 20% off is enough to get me out of bed at 5 am on a coveted day off, and on the priorities of the season.