Welcome to Talkback, a forum to voice your opinion on today’s Czech news.
This week’s topic:How much is Christmas worth?
Have you got your Christmas presents yet? Many Czechs ask that question before Christmas. Christmas holidays in the Czech Republic are largely connected to shopping and spending a lot of money on gifts. A recent survey showed Czechs are the most generous in Christmas spending among other European post-communist countries. Czechs spend twice as much time in shops in the days before Christmas than normally. One third of Czechs consider buying gifts on credit. And half of them will wait for after-Christmas sales to buy presents for friends and family.
This year’s Christmas won’t be as commercial as always due to the global financial crisis, retailers worry. Maybe instead of looking for gifts people will have more time for friends and family and traditional Christmas costumes. Isn’t that what Christmas should be about?
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Your comments on last week’s Talkback: Should Czechs ban Santa Claus? Reader Mil writes that although nothing should be officially banned, Santa Claus theme should be ignored by Czechs. He believes Czech “Xmas” and most of other aspects of everyday life have become Americanised.
Reader Daniel Hahn also says he thinks that Czechs in particular and Europeans in general are losing their spiritual and cultural heritage and identity. “I agree with all of my heart that Czech traditions should supersede those born out of a consumerist society by a corporation from America in the Czech Republic. I suppose the grass is always greener on the other side, but Czech’s should be happy with who they are and work to make sure the Czech Republic continues to be Czech, in all matters pertaining to our land and people,” writes Daniel, whose family left Czechoslovakia right after the 1968 invasion.
