This year the Christmas lights went up in the Town Centre in the middle of November. The shops put up their displays even earlier. People want Christmas without having to wait, thus completely divorcing the festival from its season, its context and any accompanying meaning.

as soon as halloween is over ,we go straight to christmas.

Most people no longer believe in Christ. In a recent survey, less than three-quarters of children knew Christmas was to celebrate the birth of Jesus, with 11 per cent believing it was the birthday of Father Christmas(1). This shows us that society sees Christmas as a shopping holiday and society is only too happy to keep this momentum going.

As a secular society, the idea of Christmas being religious is a distant memory, and society wants it to stay that way. Christmas is now just a way of society pushing its inhabitants to work. We have images of expensive sofas, big houses and big presents shoved in our faces; this is the old age trick of the carrot enticing the donkey. Work hard, earn money and this is what you can have. Christmas is now a tool used by the government and those in power to entice people into working all the hours God sends in the vain hope of achieving the Christmas dream; comfy house, 2.4 family and expensive presents.

In the current economic crisis, it is all the more important; ensuring that people keep spending to keep the economy alive.

(1) http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/67635/Santa-was-born-at-Christmas-wasn-t-he-

It starts ludicrously early and all it means are presents. No true meaning left.

Christmas is supposed to be a religious festival where families come together and celebrate. It isn't about plastic santas and lights. Tacky decorations such as these have nothing to do with family, respect or rejoicing for our fortunes. These are simply disgusting and contribute to destroying our planet for no valid reason what so ever. How can people possibly think covering their house in lights and sticking up plastic decorations could look christmassy!