> I hate the incessant music (do we really need a solid month of nothing but "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa" playing"), the shopping (going into stores without knowing what I'm going to buy is not fun), and the blatant materialism that pervades the country during this time.

Not that I believe there's some pervading sense of materialism during the holidays, but what's so bad about wanting stuff?

> Maybe I'm overly cynical, but for me it seems that the "season of joy and giving" has turned into the "season of greed and going into debt" for most people.

Do you think that those two things -- greed and going into debt -- are exclusive? I think you can judge people by their actions and in fact people do go into debt during the holidays. It's not debt for themselves, but for their family and friends. I think people just honestly like giving gifts.

Ste "I too am sick of Xmas music, though" phen