Dear Editor:
Re: An American shopping trend has gone global (Nov. 28/24)
John Arendt wrote: "Today, the Black Friday shopping craze is no longer unique to the United States. Canadian retailers have embraced similar discounts."
Many people deal with high prices by shopping on Red Thursday, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Green Monday and Super Saturday.
In some ways, living in our materialistic and credit-based society is a greater problem for many people than poverty during The Great Depression of the 1930s ever was.
Gift givers can give of their time, talent or treasure. If one's treasure is lacking, a gift of time or talent (i.e. handmade craft or baking) is often more appreciated than a gift purchased from a store or online.
Somehow I don't think Jesus of Nazareth (the reason for the Christmas season) wants Christians 鈥� or anyone else 鈥� going into debt to celebrate his birth in Bethlehem, or just enjoy a winter holiday.
As for treasure, Jesus said in the book of Matthew to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.... You cannot serve both God and money."
He also said to give to the needy in secret 鈥� in other words, privately.
In 1972, Stompin' Tom Connors, the Canadian country and folk singer-songwriter, wrote and recorded The Consumer: an ode to bill-paying.
The song was the original theme music for CBC Television's consumer affairs program, Marketplace.
The chorus: "Oh yes we are the people running in the race/Buying up the bargains in the ol' marketplace/Another sale on something, we'll buy it while it's hot/And save a lot of money spending money we don't got/We save a lot of money spending money we don't got."
Boxing Day (Dec. 26) also sees energetic shoppers flocking to malls and commercial streets in search of bargains. If all stores were open on Pre-Boxing Day (Dec. 25) people would be there.
One of the most popular comic strips of all time, Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes, has been a worldwide favourite since its introduction in 1985. The beloved comic follows the richly imaginative adventures of six-year-old Calvin and his trusty tiger, Hobbes.
In one comic strip, Calvin writes to Santa: 鈥淒ear Santa, Last year I did not receive the 15,000 items I requested for Christmas. I can only conclude that your secretarial staff must be a bunch of underpaid and woefully unprepared temps, and my letter was misfiled. To avoid a similar disaster this year, just write me a cheque for $5 million, and I'll buy the stuff myself."
David Buckna
91大黄鸭
