Tomorrow is Christmas day. I am quite happy - to have an extra day of rest from work and to spend time with my family. I suspect there is at least one other group of people who is much happier: retailers. One only has to pass by orchard road to know this. Hordes of people cram into shops to buy Christmas presents. It is usually a double windfall, because those who receive gifts usually return gifts. This is the time of the year when retailers pose double digit growth in sales. They are truly the ones who sing "ho! Ho, ho!" - to their banks. But from a consumer perspective, I fail to see why I should contribute to this consumerism. A typical person cracks his head to think of what the children need (actually most singapore children have hardly any real needs) but buys a gift for each of them anyway. Many people are essentially receiving presents they do not need (and often reciprocate the same to others out of courtesy).
well, this explains why I do not buy my children gifts for Christmas. So far, they haven't been complaining. Will my children interpret this to mean that I don't love them? I don't know. I hope not. I trust they understand that dad shows his love to them in other ways and at other times, not necessarily during Christmas. I am also aware that there is social pressure to conform - "you know, every other child is getting presents, how would my children feel?" I am not exactly sure either. I guess it is something they learn to cope with time: about not needing to conform to the rest of the world.
Talking about social pressure, there is another retailer-happy day where there is even greater social pressure for me: valentine's day. From the early courting days, I told my wife we would not observe it - for the same reasons I gave above for not conforming to Christmas giving. I have so far convinced my wife that I can show love to her in other ways and on other times, not necessarily on valentine's day. So far so good ...
The last frontier - Chinese new year - is the most difficult to conquer. I will risk the wrath of my parents and my in-laws if I don't buy them bakkua and goodies. Since it is once a year, I will not fight this one ...
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