Solstice Shopping Spree!

As I walked through Harvard Square last night, a poster for “Sparklefest” caught my eye, including this gem:

Sparklefest Solstice - Shop to the Max on the Longest Night of the Year!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
All day and until the Stars go to Bed!
Shops & Restaurants throughout Harvard Square.

A Sparklefest Solstice - Enjoy Paper Moons and Sparkling Stars throughout Harvard Square. On the day of the year when daytime is at a minimum and nighttime is at a maximum, Harvard Square gets creative to the max to keep the lights on for Shopping by Starlight…

You may have thought that Solstice was a religious holiday, a time for reflection on the dark and light in our lives and in the natural world. Tsk, tsk, tsk…

On a related note, Faith in Public Life’s Blogging Faith links to ChristmasCampaign.org, a Catholic-led group of religious professionals and academics is speaking out against the right-wing “war on Christmas”:

…We believe the real assault on Christmas is how a season of peace, forgiveness and goodwill has been sidelined by a focus on excessive consumerism.

The powerful message Christ brings to the world is “good news for the poor.” Instead, Christmas is being reduced to a corporate-sponsored holiday that idolizes commerce and materialism. Shopping and gift giving are meaningful traditions that can express the season’s values, but perspective is lost when relentless advertising and maxed-out credit cards define the holiday. It’s time to reclaim the virtue of shared sacrifice for the common good.