All that Money Just for Gifts?

Where do we get the money we buy gifts with? I don't think it's just from our 13th month and bonuses. I really think we have money printing machines in each of our houses. Either that or some of us have antique magic chest boxes they inherited from our pre-Spanish ancestors, and which can produce money every time they're opened. Or, some of us have fire places where Santa drops sacks of money he got from banks and jewelry stores through underground tunnels he dug.

And not just gifts. Each Christmas you see people buying expensive Christmas lights they fill their houses with. They even put them on their fences and roofs and shrubberies and gates and dog houses---and sometimes on their dogs, too. Do you know how much they cost per yard or meter? And then their electric cost. And that's not enough, they have their houses re-painted and re-furnished and re-paired, if not re-constructed altogether. 

Not to mention the special costly food they have each meal, and that's from December 16 to January 1. Some have them till January 6. Then the outings--they go here and there to treat the whole family. And yes, add to this the super expensive firecrackers for New Year's. 

Mysterious spending spree. And all because of two reasons--it's Christ's supposed birthday, and the year is turning new. And because of these two reasons we pamper each other with gifts. Some insist Christmas should be observed the year round. Think what that would do to inflation. Every month bonus and 13th month?

One day I got bored with celebrations and just opted to stay home and read books. I read the bible. I found nothing about having to celebrate Jesus' birth. I found one on celebrating his death. Well, I also discovered that, if there's one thing needed to celebrate on Christ's birth, it's giving up everything we own and following Jesus all the way, imitating how simply he lived, getting his priorities, values, and mindset. We need to celebrate that---the whole year round.