I can understand the spirit of giving, but what is generally emphasized is giving to friends and family members i.e. gifting, rather than giving as in giving to the homeless, needy or the poor.
It can’t be a Christmas ritual or tradition to give. What it is, is the brainchild of giant corporations and companies to imbibe in the general population that you have to give a gift to everyone near and dear to you. So in a family of 4, every member will end up buying 4 gifts, a total of 20! Some people will go even far and get gifts for good friends.
The constant marketing and advertising, eggs everyone to go on a spending spree even if the can’t afford and any have to rake up debt in the process of doing so. The brainwashing results in people feeling guilty if they can’t gift. Inability to gift may also be perceived as a sign of poverty and some people will gift for not being seen as poor.
In a country where the savings rate is abysmal, people should be encouraged to do the right thing in the festive spirit, cut down their debts, be self-sufficient and economically empower themselves. What is being done instead is poor people are being driven into further poverty under spirit of festival. Such is the business of consumption.
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