Editor’s note: “Landlocked” is commentary by students from far outside Iowa.

The refrigerators are still packed with leftovers of turkey and pies, but now it’s finally the time for the Christmas jazz. In some crazy state of mind, I actually decided to get out on the early-bird sales trip on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and it was pretty mind-boggling to see just how some people reacted. Before losing count, I’d been hit with four shopping carts. One woman told another just to hit people with their cart if they were “in the way.”

In light of mass amounts of commercialization, the crowds have lost touch with the actual spirit of Christmas in a media hype to get the best sales, to get the must-have toys and gadgets and to spend the most money. Our society is intensely materialistic and highly competitive to have the best of what’s out there.

We’ve slowly watched Christmas change from a childhood dream into a media explosion. Our younger years just barely escaped all the drama of the “gotta have its” and the holiday crowds that have just recently become a fad in past years. Just look at how stores force the holiday season upon consumers. Christmas decorations, or dare I say, paraphernalia, were out at the same time as Halloween costumes. That’s nearly a month earlier than the traditional day-after-Thanksgiving sales, a day that financial consultants have termed “Black Friday” due to extravagant holiday spending. Out-of-control spending and mall madness have taken the reins of the season.

Independent of even your religious background, this time of year has a different meaning for us all. Regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas, it’s obvious how out-of-control the season has become. Not that I mean to focus entirely on the negatives, though — you also see a lot more charitable acts during this time of year, and that has not faded away. Donations in many areas, ranging from food drives to the ever-prominent Salvation Army bell-ringers and even programs like Toys for Tots, are just a few of the selfless holiday acts. People put in long hours at soup kitchens, as they do all year, to bring some people a holiday meal.

Although there may be an increase in random acts of kindness during the holidays, it is discouraging to see just how suggestible mass crowds can become. Parents rush toy aisles to get the latest hottest toy, but the only thing that had made the toy so cool to begin with is because the advertising said so. Checking just a few of the local stores in the Ames area, you’ll find holiday countdown signs that let you know how many days are left until Christmas, how many shopping days are left until Christmas, and even more interesting, how many Saturdays — the hottest shopping day of the week — left until Christmas.

When I grew up, Christmas was a time of love, caring, and community. When I go home for Christmas, the traditions are the same in that the media hype hasn’t given my family the craze of the must-haves.

My family is more excited about time spent together and getting to do our family things like decorating the tree, visiting the city Christmas decorations or baking my mother’s holiday cookies. The gifts and glam are nothing compared to the time that we get to spend together, especially now with me living 4,000 miles away from home. It’s pretty comforting to know that my family is still festive about the holidays, without the need for toys and expensive gadgets.

On the phone with my mom over the weekend, I asked her what she wanted for Christmas, and she said, “Nothing, just come home.” Not only is it sentimental and in good holiday spirits, but it’s also cost-effective — great for saving for tuition hikes.

Robert Baptiste

is a sophomore

in anthropology

from Nanakuli, Hawaii.