從來沒有想過自己會不喜歡聖誕節，來到美國後即有這感覺。
從小到大，我都喜歡聖誕節，即使沒有宗教信仰，也被那種普天同慶，充滿愛與和平的氣氛感染。寫聖誕卡，到尖沙咀看燈飾，吃聖誕大餐，跟家人朋友歡聚開派對... ...，即使小時候沒有多餘金錢，也會弄些椰絲啫哩糖應應節。
美國的節日商品化，卻令我對聖誕節產生一種厭惡感。
香港也有節日商品化，但中國社會重親情的文化，在節日仍扮演重要的角色。
但美國的聖誕節，除了商品以外，好像就沒有其他。
在經濟不景氣的情況下，子女嚷著指定要這些那些聖誕禮物，完全奉旨的態度很討厭。父母/祖父母被商品/比較文化控制下喪失說「不」的能力，也令人討厭。
有時候看電視新聞，受訪者那種「沒辦法，即使穿少一點、吃少一點，也要買聖誕禮物給子女」的態度，令我想走近電視搖醒他們。
不想讓子女/家人「失望」。
但那種「希望」是從何得來？
都只要消費文化培養出來吧！
很多慈善機構，在這不景氣的情況下，仍然呼籲市民捐贈玩具。但連食物銀行(Food Bank)也空空如也，若市民有多餘的資源，是否應該先幫助吃不飽的人？
聖誕節有玩具，是否真的重要過其他？
聖誕節在美國，好像除了聖誕禮物外，其他有意義但不能賺取利益的元素，都得不到重視。
我實在不喜歡美國的聖誕節。
i actually feel that way too... but i think that's the materialism in big city...
回覆刪除most people are still gathering around just with family... not for anything else... i like the whole family gather around the fire place... have a cup of hot cocoa, chatting with each other, i also like decorating the christmas tree with my in-laws while the cats are trying to break them... i like how my father-in-law trying to find egg nog... and how we all wrap some little presents and said it's from Santa... our pets... try to hide little presents from each other... and how helping out to make christmas dinner, and serve in church... go to midnight mass together...
for sure there's many things we don't like about x'mas... but at the same time, there's so many good memories with it... hope this will cheer u up a little bit...
[版主回覆12/11/2008 11:55:00]你好幸福呀，一來你老公多親人，而啲家人都重好親密同傳統，所以可以維持到holiday spirit。睇你感恩節嘅活動就知啦。
我唔同呀，我老公好少親人，而且啲第三代真係好似我講咁奉旨架。其實舊年我已經覺得厭惡，啲年輕人遲大到，又早退，淨係顧住收到乜嘢禮物，其他乜都無興趣，又唔尊重長輩......... 所以我一知道又聖誕節已經覺得好討厭。
但係唔單只佢哋係咁，好多年輕人都係咁，係整個文化嘅問題。
我都有同感...呢到D人成日叫人地donate toys for xmas,我心諗我有extra cash我都寧願捐俾食唔飽著唔暖既人啦~
回覆刪除[版主回覆12/12/2008 07:56:00]我覺得真係一個惡性循環，成日提住聖誕節「要」收禮物，「要」有最新嘅玩具，從小就灌輸錯誤嘅價值觀俾小朋友，好似除咗物質，其他乜嘢都唔重要。
不過呢個可能係全世界年輕一代嘅問題，只不過美國一向都嚴重啲啫。
真係完全諗唔到,我以為美國嘅X'Mas, 一定好有氣氛, 好令人鍾意
回覆刪除[版主回覆12/14/2008 06:10:00]氣氛比香港差好多呀！好似除咗買禮同送禮外就乜都無，佈置又無香港咁靚，舖頭又關門。
而家睇你篇blog, 明白好多自己從來無諗過嘅問題
回覆刪除[版主回覆12/14/2008 06:12:00]我以前都無咁為意，係失去咗(享受節日嘅意義)先至覺得無嘢係奉旨架。
我呢邊好多屋企都佈置得好靚, 我諗住搵晚帶埋腳架同今仔出去影燈飾 可能我少接觸年青人, 所以唔知佢地係咁物質化, 不過琴日去買野外邊就有人叫我地捐錢買禮物比小朋友! 我地無特別買聖誕禮物, 通常都係開party時玩交換禮物 今年係我第一年響呢邊過聖誕, 覺得呢邊既氣氛唔錯, 因為比我發現附近幾個cities都有慶祝活動, 我地上個星期去左三個cities參加 可惜我無小朋友, 又唔好意思去同個聖誕老人排隊, 好唔開心!
回覆刪除[版主回覆12/15/2008 10:31:00]可能唔同家庭背景都有啲分別。你男家都係香港人，同你嗰邊好多華人，聖誕節可能會似香港多啲。
我哋呢邊買聖誕禮物係好重要嘅事，啲後生已經一早話定要幾百蚊無線電話，仲要每個月加幾十蚊電話費，當然唔係自己俾啦，諗起都覺得討厭。
去到商場見到啲人瘋狂咁買禮物真係好得人驚，過咗聖誕又會出現退貨潮，我覺得好浪費資源同人力物力
回覆刪除[版主回覆12/16/2008 05:23:00]美國就係咁，好多時都為消費而消費，所以攪到依家全國欠債咁多囉。
In my opinion US Christmas just like our Chinese New Year. Chinese married people have to give red pocket money to the kids in Chinese New Year, right? If you can't afford the expensive gift, try to give gift card, much easier and don't need to think !!! I remember that I was hospitalized couple of weeks during Christmas and New Year few years ago. I felt extremely depressed. That hospital gave an unexpected large gift bag to every patient which was filled up around 20 gifts. Most of them were cheap things...but they wrapped up so beautifully!!! I felt much better even I needed to stay in hospital for holidays... After that experience, I fully understand the real meaning of "giving is better than receiving". We have the ability to give others is 幸福呀!!! Of course how much you can give depends on your level of ability. Happy Holidays !!!
回覆刪除[版主回覆12/19/2008 07:19:00]The reason I don't like Christmas here has nothing to do with what kind of gift to get, give or receive, it has to do with the attitude of how a holiday is perceived, especially by the younger generation. And I don't think Christmas gift is the same as red pocket money, at least the chinese kids don't (or are less likely to) go and brag about how much they get from others.
I dislike kids/(anyone) who think Christmas gift is an "entitlement", and should be given no matter what circumstances and how they behave. "Taking things for granted" does not appeal to me (or shouldn't for anybody). But unfortunately, that's how the American kids are and it's vicious cycle and a sick culture. In the grand scheme of thing, it's culture like this that is drawing the Americans into the hell hole they are in now (a strong sense of "entitlement", indulgence, lack of respect and appreciation to other people and elders, etc etc....)
we can surely afford buying kids i-phones and brand name products, but to me it's just "morally wrong" to feed their greed and ever-growing demand. if we are not the one to stop the cycle, we're just as guilty in breeding them into selfish, greedy individuals. as least that's how i see it.