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Show The Dailv Page Ten Itah Chronicle. Thursday. December 7. 1978 Santas and 'Star Wars 'ornaments Razor-ridin- g Commercialism god reigns over Christmas JULIE HEATH by Chronicle staff 'Twos a month before Christmas and all through the town, Xot a merchant stopped hustling, not even to frown. The billboards and bright lights were all hung with care. And ads screaming bargains clutters the air; in his Fry boots and me in my cords. We set off in the Fiat To canvas the stores. It's in the air. ' magazines start swelling to gigantic proportions, bright lights begin sparkling in the cool night sky, radio stations and stores' P.A.s commence chorusing carols . . .Christmas is in the air. But it's only the day after Halloween. Each year the "hustle'n'bustle, happy" Christmas season sinks to new depths of outright hustling. It forces crowds earlier to more and more hectic bustling, and makes fewer and fewer people happy probably because, with all the glitter, ballyhoo and hoopla, it all seems more like a huge, gaudy pageant to the god of Commercialism than a celebreation of the "true" Christmas spirit. And each year, more outraged people begin asking when the commercialization of Christmas will finally end. Ad-riddl- F.D.R. Many people attribute the current wave of Christmas commercialization to President Franklin Rooseelt. In 1933, his first year in office, FDR tried to push Thanksgiving back a week to the third Thursday in November, hoping the additional week of Christmas shopping (in those days people really waited until the day after Thanksgiving to start) would help ease the country out of the Depression. Public outcry halted the move at the time, but it has long since become a reality. And, although the day after date for Thanksgiving is still the traditional kick-of- f start and stores most some merchants, many shoppers in or lines Christmas their September August hawking national magazines, through ads in beefed-u- p early-bird- " sales and countless mail-orde- r "pre-Christm- m the whole overcommercialism is to of season. But that kind simple surrender merely allows the commercial hold on Christmas to become more firmly entrenched. The best way to ward off the "commercial Christmas blues" is to find pleasures in the season still untainted by the ugly stain of commercialization. Here, then, are nine and one-hal- f noncommercial ways to sample the joys of Christmas. This is the 1) MAKE YOUR OWN PRESENTS oldest and most traditional way to avoid a commercialized Christmas, so it belongs at the head ol the list. People have been knitting, sewing, cutting, painting and pasting their way to Christmas gifts from the time the custom was extablished. It may be too late to begin most major projects like knitting or building, but small extras like homemade Christmas tree ornaments or personalized wrapping paper and cards can make even the most blatantly commercial present something special. e Another favorite, 2) GO CAROLING in is most large, rowdy groups. Find enjoyable caroling 10 or 15 daring friends and agree in advance what to sing so no one can claim he was embarrassed or didn't know the words (it usually helps to have printed copies of songs). Avoid solos, harmonies and anything fancy "Oh. Holv Night" always bombs at the doorstep. If you aren't 3) CUT YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS TREE artistic or musical, maybe athletics is your bag. It usually takes skill and stamina to bring out a really good Christmas tree, because the shapelier evergreen are always about 15 feet like the cost of a new pair of cords when you lip oui pants climbing a t barbed wire feme. The Bl.M has closed out 197H sales, but cutting vour own tiee is a good way to celebrate any Christmas and get some exercise at the same time. 3 12) GO LOOK AT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS This Im cause one-hal- f idea. as an Chiistmas counts only lights and decorations have Ixen one of the most o 6 o O g So, Dad it on tall and you have to cut from the top. And. although the Bureau of l.and Management BI.M permits are only SI. cutting vour own tux tan Ik' one of the mot noncommercial wavs to enjov vour cxpenie Christinas Ixtause it usuaUv lakes a full tank of gas to reach the nee preserve, and there can lx hidden extras pre-Christm- The children sample Santas and a new line of toys. While Muzak sang of good will and oys. Blame catalogs. Christmas merchandise moves onto the shelves side by side with Thanksgiving wares the day after Halloween, and Christmas specialty stores like gourmet food chains and decoration shops no later than September. But it is not so much the prematurity and quantity of Christmas ads which bother most people as their general lack of taste and or relation to the meaning of the true holiday itself. With so many commercial messages vying season. for public attention in the heavy Madison Avenue has dreamed up everything from razor-ridinSantas to Star Wars tree ornaments to exploit the golden merchandising opportunity of an entire nation shopping at once. Some firms have even used the growing rejection of Christmas commercialization to promote their products and services one finance company has a nationwide ad wishing "your family . . .the true meaning and peace of Christmas" despite all the commercial intrusions on the season's warmth. The ad goes on to reassure that if you "do have money problems," they are "there to help." 9 12 surefire ways to avoid Ebenezerism as The most common reaction to Christmas "bah-humbu- jx-nni- gimmicks productive commercial Christinas it is hard to deny that merchandisers have invented. But and occasionally some the glittering colors are true charm shines through. store-boug- commercial. 4 12) GO STORM WALKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE Even commercialization can't soiI the jovous NIGHT effect of a quiet, gently snowstorm on a sleeping c ity. This Christmas treat can be enjoyed throughout winter. Wait foi a snowstorm forecast to hit about 4 a.m.. then stay up. bundle up and enjoy the stillness of a Salt lake being blanketed by snow. Just walking through the quiet streets c an help banish the Christmastime blues. continued on page Vfe sound better r 9 TP Q ra f o Q Wa nut Cabinet optional Qffl 'y. 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