Battle for Christmas

2005-12-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

I got my Secret Santa a gift today...I hope that he/she likes it. I just finished my Paper a few minutes ago. It is defintely a relief to have the last paper done. It kind of a bitter sweet emotion. I really liked this class, so I'm sad to have it end. But then again, I hate to write so I'm alittle excited. Yes...that is my confession, I hate to write. Now that the class is almost over I feel like I can finally admit that. I guess I should clarify though... Its not that I hate writing, its just that I hate all the rules that go with writing. Some of the greatest writers of our time went against the standards or rules. Look at Ernest Hemingway, his runon sentences are a trademark. By the time I get to the end of the sentence, I can't remeber the beginning.

I want to be able to write like that. I want to put punntuation where I want it (whether it is grammatically correct or not). I want to be able to write what I know in the way I want to write it. To be honest, thats why I like blogging. Although it is a tedious chore (hahah), I like the fact that I can just write. I can put a ... anywhere I want. I guess the point of this blog is to say that....yes I will miss the class, but no I will not miss the writing!

2005-12-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

I do not have much to write about today. It has been a pretty uneventful day full of homework and snow, but other than that, nothing interesting occured. I guess I will write about my progress on Paper 6. I am almost done with the journal entries. I have made alot of minor corrections but now I am working on altering my thesis. I decided that instead of focusing on how Tiny Tim's exaggerated state inspires Scrooge to change, I will focus only on how Tiny Tim inspires Scrooge. I feel that if I choose to narrow the thesis, the paper will become more clear. Other than that, I'm pretty done!

2005-12-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

Today in class Julian and I were looking through the articles in the coffeehouse. We clicked on the link that Seth added (the article about Black Friday) and watched some of the clips. Although we saw two men getting tackled to the ground, we were really interesetd in the video with the lady getting trampled. Seth said he found an article that contained a clip about a lady shopping in Walmart. It was so crowded that she not only got trampled on but her wig also fell off. As she tried to get up, she tried to grab the wig. I know that this should not be funny, but I really want to see the clip! (I know its sick).

I went out shopping on Black Friday this year. I woke up at around 6:00 and was at the mall by 6:30. Its scary to think that I was actually really late for the sales. Most the stores opened at 5:00am with Early Bird Specials. I usually enjoy this day of shopping, but this year I did not. To be honest it was actually one of the most miserable shopping experiences I have had. The lines were ridiculously long and the sales were not that great. The pushing, shoving, and rudeness was at an all time high. One of the ladies at the end of the line had a large amount of merchandise and left it in a pile in the front of the line. Some lady near the stuff started going through the pile and taking the things she wanted. The lady whose stuff it was started yelling from the back of the line not to touch it becasue it was hers. Although it was alittle humorous in that sick sense, it makes you think...what happened to christmas? And what is wrong with these people? Christmas is supposed to be a time of caring and giving, yet people are pushing and hitting people in order to buy gifts. Is this what Christmas has become????

2005-11-30T09:33:00.000-08:00

I started working on the Paper 6 last night. Although it took me awhile to get used to switching between three screens, after an hour or so I got pretty used to it. After working on it for a several hours, I am almost done. It was actually really interesting to revise my own paper. I found that the most reveisions I made included grammar and changing words. I didn't really rewrite any of the paragraphs (and I hope thats ok), because when I wrote the paper I proofread it pretty well. Therefore, in revising my paper I really just worked on changing minor things... a word here and there, evidence added, and grammar corrected. I wasnt really sure how to set up the running journal of changes so I used the same format as the example in the outbox.

Today in class we are working on the paragraph revisions again. It's informative to correct someone else's work, but I feel bad for the person whose work it is. Although we are offering constructive criticism it is has to be alittle 'sad' to see others criticizing and changing your work. On the plus side though...whose ever work it is will have an easier job revising his or her paper!

2005-11-29T18:12:00.000-08:00

Last night as I was getting ready for bed I turned on the TV. Guess what movie was on? "Scrooged" (the version with Bill Murray). One of my all time favorite Christmas movies, I was excited to watch it. Although it was pretty good, something was different about it. After much thought (ok not that much because it was late), I decided that now that I have read "A Christmas Carol", the movie is not as great. Its like they say "the book is always better than the movie". So now I am alittle sad because a movie I once loved is not that great anymore.

On a brighter note, I decorated my room on Sunday night. I have lots of lights and of course, a Christmas Tree! It's nice. It makes the room feel like home!!!!

2005-11-21T20:26:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving tomorrow for break...so excited!!!! It's crazy to think that in 3 days (the day after thanksgiving) I will start my Christmas shopping. Christmas has snuck up on me this year. To be quite honest, time seems to be flying. The semester is almost over. Less than a month left. WOW! Anyways...I dont really have much to say tonight and I have alot of packing to do, so this is a very short blog. Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

2005-11-20T11:12:00.000-08:00

I am really excited about the Secret Santa Exchange that we are doing in class. It's a cute idea and I think we will all have a lot of fun with it. So, I started working on the last paper. I am sooo excited it's the last paper but it is defenitately harder than I had anticipated. I think its hard to critique and make changes because there are so many things I would like to change and I can never decide what is the best choice to replace it with. Hopefully it will get easier as I continue to work on it. Besides that, class is going well...but I am very excited to go home...only two more days!

2005-11-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

I just finished taking the survey online...and I am going to go work on Paper 5 when I am done with this. I seem to be struggling with Paper 5 more than the others. I just cant come up with a clear thesis that I like. I am playing with the idea that although Tiny Tim's mental and physical state is exaggerated, it is necessary because ultimatley Scrooge sees the error in his ways and changes his life because of Tiny Tim. It is actually ironic if you think about it...both Tiny Tim and Scrooge are extremes. One is an old, grumpy miser and the other is a young, joyful cripple. The two characters are both extremes, yet complete opposites of each other. I wonder if Dickens did that on purpose???

2005-11-09T20:45:00.000-08:00

I don't have much to say about Christmas right now, but I discovered something interesting today...(ok so its not really that interesting, but it is at least something to write about). After class today Dan (McConvey) and I were talking about grammar usage. Somehow we got on the subject of the word "fastly". Whats ironic is that I used the word not to many blogs ago. I said "Christmas is fastly approaching". To me that sounds grammatically correct, but Dan and I discovered that it's not. Although it was used in middle english, it is no longer used today. I wonder why? I also wonder where I have heard it that I am repeating it. Perhaps I read it in a piece of old literature. I know I would not use the word fastly if I had not read or heard it before. So, here is a question to anyone who reads this, who are some of the authors (and the texts) that contain this word????

2005-11-07T09:42:00.002-08:00

I just posted a discussion in the coffeehouse about the role of 'community' in a Christmas Carol. I hope it may prove useful to anyone who is writing an essay about the topic. So now that I have finished reading A Christmas Carol I find myself very excited about the upcoming holidays. Christmas is fastly approaching. Only about a month left and then home for Christmas Break. Im not sure what I am going to do for a whole month without homework and work. I hate to say it but I have a feeling I might actually be bored. I am one of those firm believers that "busy hands are happy hands". I know this doesnt have much relevance to Christmas, but well I wrote about it anways.

Today in class we talked about thesis' again. I really like when we do this, because I feel like it really helps me. In highschool I never learned how to construct a clear thesis, so its defentialey one of my writing weaknesses. Hopefully by the end of the course, my "thesis technique" will have improved.

2005-11-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

I started writing the fifth paper last night. I decided I would write about Tiny Tim and his overdramazticed state. I spent some time going through the book collecting quotes and ideas, yet I couldn't come up with a solid thesis. I believe that Tiny Tim's exaggerated state was deliberate and serves several specific purposes. First, Tiny Tim evokes compassion from all readers. Second, he raises awareness about the social plights of the poor. And third, Tiny Tim ultimatley forces Scrooge to look inside himself and see the error in his ways. If Tiny Tim was not so poor and sickly, then his impact would not be so powerful. In essence his over dramaticized state leaves a powerful impact on both readers and Scrooge. Well, I may not have a clear thesis, but at least the ideas are flowing! I think might read Nissenbaum's 6th chapter on Tiny Tim. Perhaps I will get more ideas!

2005-11-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol". Although I read it faster than I would have liked too, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now that I am finished reading it, I have started to think about the fifth paper. The topics seem interesting, but I dont know which theme I would like to "tackle". Although I can see how they all relate to the text, there is not one in particular that stands out. I am going to think about it and then post it in the coffeehouse...

2005-10-31T11:11:00.000-08:00

The conversation in class today was very interesting. For those who may not know exactly what I am refering to...we had a conversation in class about how the first semester in Geneseo is going so far. Somehow the class got off on a tangent and began discussing participation in classrooms. Of the many question raised, I found one very interesting. Why do some people choose not to particpate in class? In my opinion there are a number of different answers to this question. Maybe the person is afraid of being wrong. Maybe the person does not understand the question. Or (sorry to all you teachers) maybe the person just isn't paying attention. Although those are all very good reasons, I think there is one that is even better. Some people like to reflect on a question before opening there mouth and talking. To some people a complete thought process is more important then an uncomplete spoken thought.

I am currently reading a book entitled, "Neither Wolf Nor Dog". In the book the author, Kent Nerburn, writes about the world of a Native American elder named Dan. In one of Dan's teachings he explains to Nerburn " You learn by talking. You reward the kids who talk the most in school. At your parties everyone is trying to talk. In your work you are always having meetings where everyone interrupts everyone else. You say it is working out a problem. To us (Indians) it just sounds like a bunch of people saying anything that comes into their heads and then trying to make what they say come around to something that makes sense".

Perhaps we should consider Dan's words. How much of what we say actually makes sense? Why not reflect on an issue in silence before opening one's mouth? Maybe this is why some people don't raise there hands in class. Maybe their silence means that they are trying to form their thoughts. To some people it is more important to think than talk.

Just remember talking DOES NOT mean thinking!!

2005-10-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

Wow...I just finally finished the fourth paper. I am glad we got an extension until Monday, it gave me extra time to edit and really get the paper how I wanted it. I thoughtI would blog about the discussion we had in class the other day, the discussion about child-rearing. In Nissenbaum's fourth chaper, he explains the Puritans beliefs for raising children. They believed that since humans are all born with original sin, the the spirit of a child must be broken. Unlike the Puritans, Unitarians did not believe that humans were not born for damnation. They believed that the will of a child should be trained, not broken. By training the will of a child, he/she will learn to make the right choices on his/her own. "Children therefore required constant and painstaking parental training that would enable them to leanr to conquer their naturual inclinationa, and do so by sheer force of will" (Nissenbaum 202). This practice of childrearing parallels the way in which children are raised today. Through patience and teaching, parents train the will of a child and thus teach him/her right from wrong. In my opinion, this seems to make more sense then breaking the will of a child. Because by breaking a child's will, you ultimatley break his/her spirit.

On a differenet note...The introduction of the Christmas tree was to manipulate children's behavior and feelings. "Children were being encouraged to feign, first to their parents and then to themselves, both selfless indifference and spontaneous joy; to act as if they enjoyed their presents only because they were expressions of love" (Nissenbaum 214)

2005-10-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my introduction for Paper 4. I used the guideline for writing and the advice given in class and think that it meets the requirements. I would like to post what I have and receive comments, criticisms, and ways to improve.

In the early 19th century, the Christmas holiday underwent a drastic transformation. The holiday moved from one spent primarily in the home, to one enmeshed in the commercial marketplace. A direct outcome of the introduction of Christmas presents, the holiday began to center around the consumption and exchange of consumer goods. In The Battle for Christmas Stephen Nissenbaum explores the origins of Christmas presents and argues that they ultimately led to the commercialization of the holiday. The anonymous New York Times article, “Merry Tide” published on December 24, 1882, affirms Nissenbaum’s argument by describing the streets of New York during the Christmas season. Through their respective texts, both Nissenbaum and the anonymous author prove that Christmas presents directly led to the commercialization of Christmas.

2005-10-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

The discussion in class today really helped me to better understand paper 4. I was alittle confused about the goal or argument of the paper but now I understand. I'm glad we talked about how to write the introduction paragragh and thesis. Up until this point, I never really new the 'proper' way to do it, but after reading the online guide, the expectations are more clear. Just by reading the guide, I pinpointed my own faults and weaknesses when writing introductions. Personally I feel like I need to get rid of the irrelevant information and clearly state what the paper will be about. Now that the guidelines are clear, I think I am going to go start it!!!!!

2005-10-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today in class we watched the clip from JibJab. I had never heard of the site before this class, yet after watching the clip about Big Box Mart, I am interested to see some of the other films. Although a cartoon and rather humorous, the clip aboput Big Box Mart correctly portrays much of the materialistic consumerism of America. Many people tend to worry about "stuff". American jobs are being outsourced to satisify the needs of the genrral public, yet that outsourcing also takes jobs away from the general public. In this sense, Big Box Mart shows the paradox that occurs in America. People want to purchase cheap goods, yet those good are ultimatley taking jobs away so that people do not have the money to purchase the goods anymore. Another ironic part of the clip, is the fact that the man buying all the "stuff" from Big Box Mart calls it "useless crap". He shops at Big Box Mart because they "sell the crap the cheapiest".

This clip makes me realize how materialistic of a society we are. So many epople are concerned with buying useless crap in order to look and feel like they belong to an upper class. The materialistic goods many buy are in no means necessity items, they are essentially wants and desires. In order to satisify these desires at the cheapiest prices, outsourcing is occuring and thus taking jobs from the American public. You have to wonder, is the possession of "stuff" really worth millions losing jobs? Is "stuff" that important to American society?

2005-10-20T16:48:00.000-07:00

After reading Nissenbaum's 4th chapter and our discussion in class I thought I would blog on a topic that particularly caught my attention: the sincerity of Christmas gifts. Gift giving has become such a part of the mainstream culture that I think this topic isnt thought about as much as it should be. The idea behind a present is to show someone your sincere and genuine affection. The gift should be thoughtful and show how much you care about the person. At Christmas, the means of expressing this affection is to go out and buy a mass produced item. How does this show sincere affection? If anything, it shows that the gift-buyer has the ability to choose one item out of the many different kinds that are produced. The idea thus contradicts the execution of gift giving. The idea is that a gift should be a personal sentiment, designed to show affection. The execution is that a gift is one item picked out of the many that are mass produced.

The question comes down to this: How do you give a gift that is personal and shows geniune affection? Do you take the risk and make a gift? The person may think your cheap, or he/she might like the thought put into the home-made present. Do you go with the safe bet and just buy the gift? It may be mass produced, but at least it shows the person that you aren't afraid to spend money.

These questions among others, has ultimatley robbed gift-giving of its true meaning. No longer is it a simple practice done at Christmas to show someone you care about them. Many issues of worry have crept into the practice of gift giving. Did you buy the right gift? Did you spend enough money? Does the person already own the item? How do you make it personal? What if the person doesnt like it? All of these problems defeat the purpose of the gift-giving process. Gift-giving has turned into a dreaded and stressful practice. Maybe its time to start reevaluting the situation and make Christmas presents alittle more about love and alittle less about money and 'stuff'.

2005-10-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

Just in case anyone is interested...72 days until Christmas! The countdown has begun. I was interested in how many days until Christmas because all the stores have begun to put the Christmas decorations out. My friend even informed me that her Mom asked for her 'Christmas List' the other day. 72 days seems like a long time away, yet the Christmas preparation has already begun. My guess is that in a few more weeks, after Halloween, Christmas stuff will be everywhere. What about Thanksgiving though? It's like the forgotten holiday. It seems like it goes from Halloween to Christmas. Thanksgiving gets some decorations and a section of frozen turkeys, but other than that its an underappreciated holiday! I mean, who doesn't love turkey?

2005-10-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm at a loss of what to write about right now. Since the Wiki is currently the main topic of discussion...I guess I'll use that. The Wiki looks good, but like Schacht said, it defenitaley needs some adjustments. The oranization could be improved but I think one of our worst problems is the repitition of facts. With everyone writing different pieces and contributing, the same thing is one the page about 3 different times. Its hard to try to edit and delete some of them because which ones do you delete? And whose do you delete (it seems alittle rude to delete someone elses work)? I think once we get rid of repitive information, the article will sound much better!

2005-10-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

For Paper 3 I decided to work on the Wiki article. Before this paper I had used Wikipedia, but had never contributed to it. To be honest, I didnt really know how to edit pages and was a little apprehensive because at times I can be technologically challenged. I am really glad I didnt let that stop me though. I had alot of fun contributing to the wiki and now know how to use it. I think it was a really great idea. As of right now, the page looks really good. It could use some proofreading, but the content is extensive. I liked the fact that with this paper, everyone used their writing strengths and compensated for other's writing weaknesses. I'm excited about this paper and can't wait to see the finished product!

2005-10-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading The Parlor and the Street from Nissenbaum's Battle for Christmas. I wanted to comment on the fact that until the 19th century, children did not make up a distinct social category; they were not a separate social group. The way in which Nissenbaum describes this, leads me to believe that Christmas played a key role in creating "childhood". Although it may not have been known at the time, but "the domestication of Christmas was related to the creation of domesticity and of childhood itself". Through Christmas the idea developed that the family was to not just provide for the child, but also offer him/her a safe and loving home. On the note of children, I had to admit that I found the barring out the schoolmaster antics rather amusing. Ok, I admit it, they were very amusing! I can't imagine what would happen if that occured today. Maybe we should try it...just kidding!!!

2005-09-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a phenomeon running through Jones...The third floor has taken a rather sudden liking to the song "All I want for Christmas is you". Not only are people singing it as they walk by, but it can also be heard blasting through the halls. Why this sudden carol in the middle of fall? I think it has to do with the movie Love Actually. I know I mentioned the movie before, but it seems that lately everyone is watching it! Perhaps the cold weather is putting people in a Christmas mood. Speaking of the cold weather....it's freezing outside!!!! OUT with the sandals and t-shirts and IN with the boots and sweaters!

On the note of weather, I have to admit...although I am not overly fond of snow, I cant wait until the first snowfall. For me, the first snowfall officially starts the Christmas season. Having lived in Rochester my whole life, I can't imagine Christmas without snow...it just wouldnt be complete!!!

2005-09-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

I think every kid remembers the moment when they found out the "secret" behind Santa Claus. I know I do! For me it was a very crushing moment of truth. I was in fourth grade and some boy on the bus told me he wasnt real. Curious, I asked my Mom to tell me the truth. She gave me what I asked for, the truth, but at that point I didnt want it. I didnt want to believe that Santa was just a figure of imagination. Even though I knew the truth, a part of me still believed in the magic. To be honest, a part of me still believes. I know that its physically impossible for reindeer to fly and a fat man to fit down the chimney, yet a small part believes. I guess you could say that the child in us never stops believing!

2005-09-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

So I just finished reading "Yes, Virginia there was a Santa Claus" and "The Case of the Christmas Poem". And WOW, did they take a long time to read. I thought the context of both pieces was very fascinating, but let me say...I do not like Don Foster's writing style. It was quite a chore to get through his piece. I felt like his writing was tedious, repetatitive, and most importantly written with a subjective attitude. Altough Nickell's was more formal writing, it was pithy, concise, and objective. This made it so much easier to read and understand than Fosters! In response to the context of both pieces, I do not know with which man I agree. Did Moore write the poem or did Livingston? In my opinion, Nickell made a much better argument than Fosters. Foster's argument was too much based on assumptions rather than fact. Although it was interesting to read both pieces at one time, I have to be honest...they were just too long!!!!!

2005-09-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

After reading two other people's rough drafts (I read Julie's in class and Dan's last night), I have to say this assignment was really quite fascinating. It was very interesting to see the different approaches people took on the paper. We all presented an argument in a dialogue, yet they were all very different. The tone, language, and ideas used varied from paper to paper. The way in which the assignment was worded left much room for interpretation; I think that's part of the reason, I enjoyed it. It was not as structured as most essays and forms of writing. I was allowed to use colloquial languange, 'funny' puncuation, and sarcastic tones. It was a really good assignment and to be honest (I know I am going to sound like a dork) I had fun writing it!

2005-09-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

I just remembered that I told everyone I knew how to change the computer's domain so that you can access the inbox from your own computer. Here are the directions I followed when changing my own computer...
1. Go to start and click on "control panel".
2. Up in the address box, type "System".
3. A box should come up that is labelled system properties.
4. Go to the tab labelled "computer names".
5. Click on "change".
6.Change the domain to "w2k.geneseo.edu"
7. I changed the workplace to "workplace" (but i dont think you need to do this)
8. Press ok.
9. Restart the computer.
10. Go to start, run, \\files\inbox\
11. Type in "geneseo\mjk12" and then your password. In your case the mj12 will be your own email address (dont not include the "quotation" marks)
If you follow these directions you should be able to access the outbox and inbox from your computer. If you have problems contact CIT, they will be able to help you!

2005-09-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

I just wrote a very informative blog on the parallelism between Judgement Day and Christmas. For some reason there were errors when publishing the blog, so I lost the entire thing!! I do not wish to write the entire thing over...so I am just going to sum up the points I made. I found it very fascinating that Christmas started as a parallel to Judgement Day. I had never thought of the two as being related, yet ironically I see the connection. Christmas is a time when children are told that they better be good little children or Santa won't bring them any gifts. Even the Christmas songs make reference to this fact..."you better watch out, you better not shout, Santa Claus is coming to town...so be good for goodness sake". Children are told that bad behavior get children on the naughty list. For this reason Christmas can be viewed as a Judgment Day for children. The question is... is this really right? It's like bribing little kids to behave. "If your good, then Santa will come". I wonder if your not good, will he actually bring you coal? I know this might see far fetched but when it comes to Christmas, is coal parallel to hell? Do sinners go to hell and naughty children get coal?

2005-09-20T18:38:00.000-07:00

While reading Nissenbaum's "The Battle for Christmas" I was amazed to discover the parallelism between Christmas and Judgement Day. Until this point I had never thought that the two would be connected. "Christmas was a child's version of Judgment Day, and its ambiguous prospects of reward and punishment". Although the threat of Judgement Day was gone when Moore wrote his poem "A Visit from St. Nicolas", it's 'ironic' that the poem mirrors a 17th century poem about the real Judgement Day. Both poems start with people sleeping in their beds. Then they are awaken by a supernaturual visitor. In the Judgement Day poem, the visitor is someone who comes to judge the people in bed. In the St. Nicolas poem, St. Nicolas comes to see all the children wishing them nothing but well. The contrast between the two visitors is the message that they each bring. The judge in the Dooms Day poem brings dread to the sleepers. The judge is a "pitiless judge" who separates the good from the evil. In the St. Nicolas poem, St Nick brings happiness and joy. Those he visits have nothing to dread. Although many say that Christmas is not longer a time of judgement, I beg to differ. Children are told that they better be nice, not naughty, or Santa will not bring them any gifts. If that is not a form of judgement, then what is?

2005-09-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

Today I thought of Christmas. I went upstairs to my friends dorm room and found her watching the movie "Love Actually". For anyone who hasnt seen the movie, it is about six different groups of people and their experiences with love. Ironically, the setting of the movie takes place in England during Christmas time. What I found interesting was that the movie was about love and 'coincidentally' it took place during the Christmas season. It appears as though the two subjects are connected. The move portrays the "religion of domesticity which is represented at Christmas time". It is about love, yet it focuses on the hope and giving that should be done at Christmas. Several times in the movie, the idea that Christmas was a time of truth, a time to be honest, came into play. I had never really thought of Christmas this way, but in the movie the characters proclaim their love to eachother because "Christmas is a time to be honest...if you cant tell someone you love them at Christmas then when can you?"

2005-09-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

I didnt quite know what to write about so I decided to do alittle internet experiment. I thought that I would google the word Christmas and see how many sites appeared. When googling just the word "Christmas" google found 125,000,000 sites (in other words 125 million sites). That's amazing!!!! Although each site dealt with Christmas, the topics varied. Some sites discussed the history behind christmas. Other sites contained the words to christmas carols, the recipes for holiday food, and traditional Christmas poems. Among searching through the sites I found an interesting one...http://www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm. This site contains different ways in which christmas is celebrated around the world. I recommend anyone reading this blog to visit the site. By clicking on different geographical areas you can learn about the way in which christmas is celebrated in that area!

2005-09-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

Last Monday I went to Marketplace Mall to do some shopping. As I was walking through the department stores I saw the funniest thing...an entire section of the store was taped off. Curious as to what the store was doing my friends and I walked over for a closer look. The taped off section was where the store was beginning to put up the Christmas decorations. It is barley the beginning of September (still about 4 months until Christmas) and already the decorations are going up!! The stores are already attempting to lure people to purchase Christmas items. I love the Christmas holiday, yet I feel like the stores are just skipping over Halloween and Thanksgiving. Although it is only Sepetember 9, and we still have two holidays to celebrate before Christmas, I would not be surprised if I soon heard jingle bells playing on the radio!

2005-09-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

I just finished writing my paper about my Christmas tradition. It was interesting to write about, but it made me long for Christmas, more importantly home. While writing the paper i realized that I associate Christmas with my family and my home. I cannot even imagine celebrating it without them. The first chapter of Nissenbaum's Battle for Christmas ends with the statemnt that "a new faith was beginning to sweep over American society. It was the religion of domesticity". I am assuming that it was that domesticity that transformed the Christmas holiday into one of family and love. Since I myself associate the Christmas season with family, I am curious to know when and how the transformation took place. When did Christmas become a holiday of love, hope, and joy?

2005-09-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

I have just started reading Nissenbaum's "Battle for Christmas" and to be honest, I find myself learning information I never knew. Christmas is sush a celebrated holiday, that I assumed I knew a lot about it...but alas, I was wrong! Although I have been reading a lot about the actual history over the battle for christmas, I find myself fascinated with the old christmas traditions (especially in light of the fact that we have to write a paper about our traditions). Never could I imagine that a holiday that is now a season of merriment and joy was once celebrated by excessive drinking and eating, gambling, aggressive behavior, violence, and disobedience to civilized authority. In comparision to the traditions of today (perhaps I should say the traditions of many people) the traditions of old seem uncouth and alittle primitive. To our modern world Christmas is a time of giving and joy. Christmas lights and decorations fill the homes who celebrate the holiday, the salvation army stands outside the malls collecting money, and of course, christmas carols can be heard playing on the radio and in stores. Instead of charity in which the social rules change, charity to our modern world signifies an act of kindness (by choice, not force). Many of the Christmas carols sung do not make reference to gambling and alcohol and receiving food, but they sing about jingle bells and Santa Claus. After looking at the differences in which 'old' christmas was celebrated and 'today's' christmas is celebtrated I find myself wodering where the transaction took place. When and why did christmas tradititions change?