Santa Claus is coming to town, and to your mall…

#OccupyXmas.

… not really about refusing to spend a dime over the holiday season. It’s about taking a deep breath and deciding to opt out of the hype‚ the overcrowded malls‚ and the stressful to–do lists. It’s about reminding ourselves to really think about what we are buying‚ why we are buying it‚ and whether we really need it at all. (Adbusters.org.)

It’s your choice.

Celebrate the holidays the old fashioned way—to me that making the home cozy, gathering with family and friends and giving meaningful gifts to loved ones. Smiling. Breathing. Handing out hugs and kisses. Being grateful.

Or… cooperate with the forces of hyper-capitalism. Shop ’til you drop. Update your holiday decorations from big box stores. Frantically follow the sales and shop ’til you drop. Buy people stuff they don’t need. Buy more toys for your  kids that will be collecting dust by January 3rd. And be sure to carry your goods around in big shopping bags that serve as free advertising for all the stores you’ve visited. Retailers can then report big numbers to make Wall Street happy.

Unregulated hyper-capitalism is a homicidal force. ~OccupyXmas.com

If you’re with me about going against the forces of hyper-capitalism, here’s what you can do from the comfort of your own home.

• * Follow @OccupyXmas on twitter and use the hashtag #OccupyXmas.
• * Follow OccupyXmas on Facebook.
• * Shop at locally owned stores. (Choose sustainable products when possible!)
• * Breathe.
• * Repeat. Except for the shopping part unless absolutely necessary.

Bonus:

In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it ‘Christmas’ and went to church; the Jews called it ‘Hanukka’ and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say ‘Merry Christmas!’ or ‘Happy Hanukka!’ or (to the atheists) ‘Look out for the wall! ~Dave Barry