Christmas and Greed, is it interchangeable?

Christmas and Greed is it interchangeable?

Christmas has always been miserable for me. There is a lot to be said for gift minimums and maximums and the consumer holiday crap. 

I really started to hate Christmas in my twenties when I gave a gift of Target Pajamas to a sibling and I got "that's all I got?". I then found out there was a minimum to be spent. You will see this time of giving frequently marked with minimums to holiday and company parties, to church parties and secret Santa. I find it disgusting. I refuse to participate. I suggest dollar gifts and people scoff. I suggest homemade and people reeeeeally frown. When did we all get so damn greedy? 

This was all initiated by two things today:  1) my grandmother asking what we wanted for Amelya. I told her about the consigned sit and spin and some markers. You know, used (gasp!!) stuff. I wear used. I actually cannot think of any work or workout clothes that are not used. Heck, I wore used boots today!  2) we were given a 25 dollar gingerbread house... Wuuuuut? Yep, 25. While it was well worth it after A got to it, I could of thought of some better uses of 25. I actually watched my BFF use graham crackers and spray icing. Each kid got their own house!! Pretty rad. 

Christians are so lost in the hype they forget the fun in giving when it requires a price.  Atheists are no better. I even see numerous religions touting "the anti Christmas gift" which ends up a huge ticket item. What happened to "Erika loves socks, these are perfect!" And they cost 3 bucks or even 5. Why did you suddenly have to buy 6 damn pairs to meet a minimum? Ohhh because Joe spent 30 and he should get the same in return. So it must be about equality. 

Wow. We all gotta be equal. That is the damn problem with this world, equality. Let me tell you something, I am all about independence, but Michael is a MAN. When did holding his balls in my pocket become equal? When did my ability to step back and allow Michael to speak for me, as the head of household, make me unequal? Did we loose our sense of equality with women's rights or with the dying economy?  I am starting to think our greed did it. When we required the 100 dollar shoes instead of hand me downs or when gift minimums came into effect. When being equal was getting what you gave, not getting what you need. 

Let me leave with this, the seven sins:

1. Greed - Wanting too much of something.  2. Gluttony - Similar to greed, but gluttony is the action of taking too much of something in.  3. Lust - The need to fulfill unspiritual desires (not just sexual desires, but this is usually what lust is associated with.)  4. Envy - Jealousy; wanting to have what someone has.  5. Sloth - Being too slow or lazy at doing something.  6. Wrath - Vindictive anger; angry revenge.  7. Pride