WE MOVED TO WWW.LIBERATEDYET.COM

"Capitalism is the new religion. Christmas is a mass consumer ritual. God is now the Free Market. The capitalists are the High Priests. Every day, the masses gather in capitalism's new cathedrals (malls and shops) to honor their God. And every day, they sacrifice themselves on the altar of Work. It's the same routine as the Christians used (during the Crusades and the Dark Ages), we just can't see it because of all the razzle-dazzle."

This is my third year of not celebrating Christmas. A friend sent me the above quote, and I couldn't help by let out a sly sigh and giggle at the absurdity of this time of the year. As my friend Na'cha'uaht reminded me today, "Winter is a time for rest, reflection, and renewal." Except for some reason stress, anger, and wasted time are the hallmarks of two out of 4 weeks of December (or 4 out or 4 for some). At first I didn't celebrate it because I'm not Christian and wanted to rebel against my non-existent but still present Christian upbringing. Now my reason is simple: it's just stupid.

With regards to gift giving, I'll be more traditional and leave it to potlatching. Only with the rise of consummerism in our communities has the "gift giving" part of potlatching gone down when it used to be about real gifts of significance and quality. So, I will spend the same ammount of hours at the mall as I would any other month, this is a month to work and reflect for me.