I just saw the first supermarket Easter eggs on display. It was next to a shelf where they are still offering discounted Christmas cakes, and just along from the Valentine cards and candy. Also today my Chinese friends stopped by with a beautiful gift of tea, cakes and sweetmeats to honour their New Year. [I felt touched - as they said they had, on receiving our mini Christmas hamper.] But it's all a bit overwhelming. I only took down our Christmas cards yesterday - and there is still some Christmas pudding in the frig. In the meantime there have been birthdays and engagements and weddings to celebrate - all with cards, cakes, food and gifts.
The spirit of giving and honouring our various traditions enriches us, but the calendar is becoming crowded by a growing number of celebrations and annual 'events'. We always had our national celebrations for ANZAC, Remembrance and Australia Days, and the family-centred Mother's and Father's Days, but since I grew up Halloween and Valentine's and Grandparents' Days have crept in, and we have watched their rapid adoption and commercialisation. The power of advertising meets the urge to spend! Where will it end?
Post Script - Sadly I notice that the dear old Guy Faux of my youth seems to have disappeared. I think I preferred his bonfire and fireworks to Halloween's Trick or Treat - all that night-time fun was so much healthier without the junk food. However, I remember it was a regular occurrence for a 'cracker' to explode in a face or a hand, and that was not so healthy.
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