Rich households are more likely to receive unwanted Christmas presents than poor households in Australia. 68% of households with incomes over $70,000 discard at least one Christmas present per person, compared to 38% for households with income less than $30,000.

Money from these rich household's wasted gifts would be better going to charity. There is also the environmental damage from Christmas. For example:

Each year, 50 million Christmas trees, purchased in the U.S with 30 million going to landfill, 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold in the U.S, with 200,000 trees cut down to make holiday cards. Wrapping paper and shopping bags in the U.S with 4 million tons of "trash" per year and 38,000 miles of ribbon used. It's toxifying the planet.

Then there's the hypocritical atheists who celebrate Christmas - "telling" children about Father Christmas and department stores charging $40.00 to have a photograph with Santa Claus: Adelaidenow website: "The (Magic Cave) has become a “cash grab” for David Jones, saying the company just wants parents to pay a $40 fee for a photo with Father Christmas."

It's all a bit rich isn't it? What ever happened to Christianity?

Nathan asked; Whatever happened to Christianity? Some years back we nailed it to the cross, that took care of that little problem. The thing with Jesus was he's the wrong kind of PROFIT!

Too easy fellas, you just wallow in your meanness and misery, while everyone else enjoys the special joy of spending time with family, friends and community. Oh, and reaffirming our faith and hope for a peaceful world with good tidings to all.

I always think of the isolated and the ill at Xmas. Illness can easily set sufferers apart from society. We must care for them. Be with them, too easy and really valued.

Anyhow, some good will come of this wretched thread because I am off today on two missions, first to visit an aged relative and later to fill the trolley with heaps of mixed fruit, spices and so on to make my famous steamed Xmas puddings and plenty of them. It will be a production line and with welcome family help. Got the music,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDpWkBi-cr4&list=RDRDpWkBi-cr4#t=27

Remember to donate those food and presents packages you good people and try to set some time aside to notice and spend some time with those who for whatever reason are without loved ones that care about them.

Is this a typo or a phenomenal over exaggeration - "2.65 billion Christmas cards sold in the U.S"? That's approximately 1000 cards per person.

The celebration of Christmas has evolved and mutated over the past 100+ years. It is what it is, like it or not. For many the celebration of the birth of Christ is still the main focus whilst for others its simply a chance of sharing the joy and magic of a child waiting for Santa's visit, or chance to be with their family. Sure its also one gigantic materialistic over commercialise holiday, but who cares.

Let this one ride, let people celebrate the way they want for whatever reasons they have, and just try to be happy for those that are into it.

And as OTB said above - perhaps take the opportunity to do some good for someone else rather than criticise and complain. No one likes a Scrooge.

Ahem...

>>Is this a typo or a phenomenal over exaggeration - "2.65 billion Christmas cards sold in the U.S"? That's approximately 1000 cards per person<<

I suggest you have another go at the calculator, ConservativeHippie.

I was not aware that in Australia anyone was forcing people to buy/not to buy, celebrate/not celebrate Christmas. It can bring the worse greed out of people but no more than the fools that spend billions in space projects while millions starve. Generally I have found many giving to others at Christmas time more than at other times.