Holiday Materialism

[TheGodlessUtopian]

With Christmas coming up, and all of the materialism associated with the time, I have had my interest piqued with how, in American society, holidays (such as Christmas) have turned from simple celebrations to extravagant orgies of buying commodities and advertising. Looking for articles and books, bonus points from a leftist perspective.

[kickoverthestatues]

I think there are worse things about capitalism than Christmas; but obviously we shouldn't be surprised that this festival, like all human relations, becomes commodified under capitalist rule.

I can't think of any specific Marxist critique of Christmas (so maybe it's up to you to write one :)) but you should check out the Frankfurt School writers who aimed their critical laser beams at mass culture under capitalism - consumerism, alienation, etc.

[Makarov]

My personal opinion is that, in our western society, increasingly; people are now judged on their possessions. And the fact that some people think that the more lights they have hanging off their house, the more "holiday spirit" they have; or think they have. Business recognize the need for possessions, and promote acquisition of them.

I have formulated these opinions by observation of people, Rather than reading.

However, I have not come across anything related to this subject, that isn't bias. I think that it's just the nature of capitalism: spend, spend, spend?

[hetz]

I wouldn't mind having some money to buy nice things for holidays. :)

[Zealot]

It's a nice way for capitalists to sell a bunch of products for one thing.

Christmas was celebrated quite differently in places around the world. Thanks to capitalism and Coca Cola, in particular, there is now an almost universally agreed upon "version" of what Christmas is. For example, how many Brits here recognise this guy as Father Christmas?

http://rlv.zcache.com/father_christmas_in_a_green_coat_card-p137939051679785013bfzif_400.jpg

Exactly, almost no one because in the 1930s Coca Cola ran a campaign depicting him in red with their beverage.

Father Christmas, Santa Clause, and Saint Nicholas have now become synonymous terms for a fat, bearded guy in a red suit. I think holidays such as Christmas are a good case study to examine the effects of capitalism on mass culture. It's also in the direct interests of the bourgeoisie to enforce these holidays.

[Luís Henrique]

Capitalism is a pervasive thing.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Izduszhu6Ro/TptGUkbQxPI/AAAAAAAABTE/XtqLtW1gaOc/s1600/Abajo%2Bla%2Bsociedad%2Bde%2Bconsumo%2BQUINO.jpg

Luís Henrique

[Green Girl]

How does this sound for a new slogan?


Communism is like Christmas all year round, we all work for the good of mankind and we all receive everything we need and desire.

[Luís Henrique]

How does this sound for a new slogan?

My crystal ball tells me that...


So do you communists believe in Santa Claus, do you?

Luís Henrique

[Hit The North]

^^^ The reply being: 'Well he does look a great deal like Karl Marx."

[Hexen]

Christmas is a Christian holiday that's my only critique of it which in a Post-Revolutionary society Christmas would be abolished if we be able to remove christian predominance in society via iconoclasm.

[Let's Get Free]

Christmas- Pagan ritual turned super commercialized holiday.

[kashkin]

Christmas is a Christian holiday that's my only critique of it which in a Post-Revolutionary society Christmas would be abolished if we be able to remove christian predominance in society via iconoclasm.

However, not everyone who celebrates Christmas is Christian. Who knows what will happen to festivals/celebrations in a socialist society, but there is no real need to abolish them. If people want to celebrate Christmas for whatever reason, so be it.

[Slavoj Zizek's Balls]

Christmas revolves around giving each other gifts. This would be redundant in a post-revolutionary society as we would already have everything we need, therefore a fixed time where gifts change hands would be pointless.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Marx examines in volume 1 of Capital how capitalism depends on the perpetual creation of new needs and desires on the part of consumers. I think the commercializaton of ancient holidays like Christmas, as well as the creation of new holidays like "Sweetest Day," are an example of this. I also disagree that gift-giving would cease in a socialist society. I actually think gift-giving would become much more common, as people would have significantly more time to develop their creative abilities and resources.

[Comrade #138672]

I don't think you'll be able to find much about this specific subject. You might want to approach it in a more general way. For example by searching for commodification.

[Regicollis]

Christmas is a Christian holiday that's my only critique of it which in a Post-Revolutionary society Christmas would be abolished if we be able to remove christian predominance in society via iconoclasm.

Christmas is a holiday that makes perfect sense in the parts of the world that gets really dark in the winter. What better thing to do at that time than to have a festival with lots of lights and candles?

I don't think a post-revolutionary society would abolish Christmas. There was Christmas before capitalism and there will be Christmas after. People like festivals and like holidays that mark the change of seasons. Meeting with your family and friends, eating good food and maybe get drunk is part of makes life enjoyable.

Christmas will take another less commercialised form in a post-revolutionary society. The concept of gift-giving will be changed. Since consumer goods will be freely available people will give each other home made things like paintings, cookies or poems. We will also be free from the sickening and patronising once a year charity that marks capitalist Christmas since everybody will have their needs covered.

[Flying Purple People Eater]

Christmas is a Christian holiday that's my only critique of it which in a Post-Revolutionary society Christmas would be abolished if we be able to remove christian predominance in society via iconoclasm.
This is silly. The only thing making Christmas a predominant new year's celebration is capitalism itself. The lack of anything else to celebrate new years' can have quite a strong effect on culture, but to abolish a new years celebration!? Why!? I like painting eggs with my cousins come December, thank you very much!

[piet11111]

^^^ The reply being: 'Well he does look a great deal like Karl Marx."

No no no you should say its always been Marx with a silly hat.
Santa marx all year round :laugh: