The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1956-12-07

Earlier earlier the commercial aspects of Chrsmasde
obtruded public notice The lights trees and other
decorations in places of business in place long before
Thanksgiving Santa Claus who used to make his journey on
December % heralded town November
in late October The exchange of gifts becomes more
dyng bothersome and expensive and into
action at earlier and earlier date.
Christmas all who any vestige Christian faith
and nearly all peoples even unbeevers take something from
the Christian atmosphere feast Of great Joy 1t is emnent
right that all the people of the earth should rejoice the thought
that God has become Man save mankind is right thata
fixed fixed day should be accepted by all the
occasion of joyous and grateful remembrance of the Incarnation
And is and human right that the sacred joy
of the time should find expression in the kindness and benevo
man; the bestowal small symbolic gf
right that the holy recollection holy Event should be
made the occasion Of stresses trials and burdensome
The holiness quickly out of commemoraon that assumes
commercial aspect.
is surely unreasonable that merchants manuae
trers should make the time of Our Lords comngor rather
heaipe set for devou remembering of His coming time Of
hg pressure for increased sales and increased profits Yet
dominant feature of celebration that commercaism should
not be able to touch at all.
The commercial spirit which the spirit of the buck
is not only noerabe intruder into the spirit Christmas
time is an ntolerabe intruder with most intoIeable ods
agend There cudty and and plain dishonesty
the greed that strives pantng for increased Christmas sales
promoter There braznness duplicity
falsehood
Consider promise perfection and fair dealing
in this rushing time And then consider the
uary the same goods will be prchasabe at fraction of the
present price January "halfoff sales" are plain
public confession that earlier price
lust eougnp What of your little record PLAYER for instance that
costs sos in and sells for se5 in the following
February? Does the lower price indicate that the merchant
tainy not Then who juse the extra s34 that he collected
for it before Christmas?
Mind you all open There is no attempt to hide
the that the Christmas barganprce an extravaganty
wasteu price the Indeed the sashng
halIvh
actually told in big type that they cheated month be-
lore Yet they hurry to the sales convinced that they have
pause think the obvious thought odays bargain price
means that yesterdays price was unfair.
This crudy procedure appears many advertise
ments not connected with Christmas buying and selling For
for that the of his product another
perfection Tv served him show visuay his gave
cakes higher softer fufer than other mixes the homemade
product No adjective of strong
mix there any lack flaw in the formula certainly
And suddenly that the already perfect
mix has been perfected! No longer will the Ty
mansthat cakes made of boxedup materials
quick to dry out and become crumb No. no. any
L. to be sue) have invented ingredient which
the purchaser of this that the cake stay properly
SOFT moist and Of splendid texture for days and days
eager advertiser to cash in on the new product
promotion tells us that for the first time that his old
cakemix gives cake incapable of holding its moisture He
never mentioned hat TACT before ne concealed carefully he
had nothing but complete exavsgant praise every
ure of the old cakex under every possible aspect
he has gimmick, point appeal means of
building fresh buying exploits the full this
new device totally disregardng the fact that it proves him
nckster and hyser And he confidently that pros
pectve customers will disregard that fact too AS they will
is this business of promoting sales by any means
lair foul that makes the commercial invasion Christmas
such distressing thing The gracious holy which
should raise mems minds God deepen the devotion
all Christians, is become heyday of wild selling more
more expensive goods at inflated prices The
money changers surely in the temple