Grocery shopping in South Florida is not cheap. Lately, I have been lulled into shopping at Walmart because there are so many of them (there are four within a 5-mile radius of our apartment) and their prices are absolutely unbeatable. I don't agree with their business practices or the way they treat their employees, which is why I have tried to avoid shopping there for so long, but what do you do when food prices are going up and there is a recession?
This morning I went to Walmart to pick up a few basics, and I noticed that they had already put up the Christmas section. It is not even Halloween yet, mind you. But being the Christmas lover that I am, I decided to pick up the remaining pieces in my nativity set that I started last year. I bought figurines of the baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, and some animals, and this year I wanted to finish it off with the wise men. I was pretty excited for my early Christmas gift to myself. :)
I want you to know that I went up and down those aisles TWICE. There were no nativity scenes. In fact, there were no references to Christ at all. None. I felt absolutely sick inside. I came home and searched to see if I had just missed something, but the online Walmart site only has four nativity sets now, and none of them are sold in stores.
But they did have a whole row of Hannah Montana tree decorations and stockings, in case you wondered.
According to an article by the World Net Daily, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights at one point back in 2005 launched a boycott on Walmart for "banning" Christmas. I think I will do some personal boycotting of my own. It may be a little more expensive, but I would like to choose to support an establishment that chooses to support my Savior, especially during a time of celebrating His birth.
Read more about the issue at http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47330
Here's a tongue-in-cheek video about "Big Box Mart" for your viewing pleasure...
