Asheville News

Ashvegas will go ahead and declare it: Christmas is cancelled

Jason Sandford September 30, 2008

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

OK, I can only speak for myself here, but given the tensions of the last few weeks, and the particular sting of Monday’s 777-point drop in the stock market, I’m officially canceling Christmas this year.

Yes, that’s right. Blame high gas prices. Blame no gas. Blame imploding financial markets. Blame sub-prime mortgages. Blame obscure, little-understood credit instruments. Blame Wachovia. Blame Lehman. Blame Merrill-Lynch. Blame the bail-out. Blame the Colonial pipeline. Blame it all.

You’ll be receiving no gifts from Ashvegas.

Restaurants, bars and retailers, take notice. I’m not the only one deciding now that this will be no year for excess. Lots of folks will be cutting back this year. I’m sorry, but it’s just going to be like that.

I don’t want to be a total Grinch, here. So I’ll suggest that we all make a public gesture of thankfulness. Light a candle and put it in your window in honor of everyone who lost a home. Take dinner to a friend or family member and share a little time together.

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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5 Comments

kp September 30, 2008

You’re late, Ash! We cancelled Christmas two years ago. All of the commercialism is just so crass and materialistic. I informed my extended family that the only gift anyone was getting was my sister – cash to help her get back on her feet after a no-good husband cleaned her out. The year before that, the only gifts anyone got were notices that the money was going to Habitat. We don’t need any more stuff and don’t think we live the high life. We live in a small, simple, bungalow. Our holidays mean NO trees, NO cards, NO decorations. NO 24-hour holiday music on the radio, NO gift-buying. We just enjoy each other’s company. It’s wonderful. Much more Christmas-like than the frenzy caused by the buy-buy-buy scenario. (Okay, I’ll admit to this: We might watch a holiday movie on the tube but it’s NOT a wide-screen, HD TV – it’s small, regular old TV and we watch whatever’s on basic cable!)

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Jedi Knight September 30, 2008

Yeah our country is in a bit of a slump right now, that’s for sure, but the terrorists will never win!
Period full stop end of story.

So Merry Christmas to all!!
I know it’s way to early for the whole Christmas season to start but what can you do, many stores have already put out the ‘Christmas stuff’ to try to get people in there right now to spend, spend, spend!

I say wait till at least November to start the Christmas season, but that’s just me.

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plastic paddy September 30, 2008

And Christmas not being based around materialistic greed is a bad thing how?

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bobaloo September 30, 2008

Then the terrorists have already won.

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Gratuitous September 30, 2008

Plus the Tooth Fairy is up to 5 bucks per tooth now. Backed by US oil dollars.

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