IT’S EARLY NOVEMBER, Christmas is still almost two months away, but one would think it’s next week with all the decorations already out.

It used to seem like stores would wait until after Thanksgiving to bring out the Christmas gear, but each year it seems to come earlier and earlier. Soon you will be able to buy a Christmas tree in July.

This is all part of a trend to commercialize Christmas. Big corporations, only interested in money, have tried to put a price tag on the holiday. Christmas is no longer associated with the birth of Jesus Christ, like it is intended to be. It has become simply a gift-giving day. Where everyone gets sucked into the buy, buy, buy mentality, and they forget the real meaning of the holiday.

Large cooperation’s love this. They bombard the airways with commercials about what is the “must have” toy this year, and how you can’t possibly live another day without such and such product. Americans, being the mass consumers that we are, buy right into this literally, spending thousands of dollars every year.

I’m not saying this is a bad thing. The spirit of giving and receiving that comes with Christmas is wonderful, and by no means should stop.

What I’m talking about are those people who decorate their house with millions of little blinding lights in November pronouncing to people “Christmas is only 55 days away!”

Or the parents who ransack toy stores causing mass riots to get that last Elmo doll. This is what makes me sick.

On a day that is supposed to be devoted to worshiping the birth of Christ, you have Joe Shmoe starting a fistfight over a doll. Somewhere in there the meaning of the holiday was lost.

So my point is this; enjoy Christmas no matter what religion you are.

Buy gifts for friends and family, but when you’re giving or opening those presents take a moment to think about what you’re celebrating.

After all it’s not called CHRISTmas for nothing.