I Am Disturbed

Posted by Kym

Mentally yes, but in other ways as well.

Christmas is always a tricky time of year. The rampant commercialism, Christ being taken out of Christmas, etc…It’d be pretty easy to go through the season scowling at all the flyers and catalogues and store fronts. I make an attempt every year though to portion off my favourite aspects of the season and focus just on them.

The scent of simmering wassail and fresh baked ginger snaps. Lovingly brushing the bits of styrofoam off my porcelain nativity set and laying it out atop the piano. Teaching my children about baby Jesus and how much it means to us that he came. Leaving out cookies for Santa Claus and watching the joy and wonder in their faces when they find nothing but crumbs in the morning. And giving, giving, giving. Giving gifts is one of my favourite ways to show love and I revel in it!

As I was flipping through the flyer of a local store looking for gift ideas, I saw something that I’d seen in other stores that disturbed me greatly. Advent calendars. Not the cutesie ones with pictures of the nativity, or Santa, or snowmen, or children ice skating. Garishly bright ones with the faces of tv and movie stars on them.

Err…what?

Now I’ll admit that I’m a bit of an extremist when it comes to character merchandise. I go out of my way to avoid purchasing Disney Princess paraphenelia or Dora the Explorer clothes for my girls. I often grimace as I peruse the girl’s clothing section, looking for clothes that don’t have someone’s face smeared all over them. It bothers me. A lot. Perhaps not for any fascinatingly thought provoking reason…I just don’t like it.

I’ve been hunting for Advent Calendars for my girls for weeks now. Weeks. I finally found some at the local grocery store. $9 each. Ouch. But they’re beautiful. They have lovely snow dusted scenes portrayed on them, and the chocolate is manufactured by one of Canada’s leading chocolatiers. Hmm…wait…that may have been a bad idea…

Anyway, I suppose I just wanted to put my distaste into words, not knowing how to address a letter to Retailers of North America at large.

Christmas isn’t about Hannah Montana or High School Musical, Tinker Bell, Cars, or Disney Princesses. We can debate even about whether Santa and snowmen and cherub cheeked ice skaters really fit either, but really? It’s going too far, in my opinion.