Boomer Complains About The 'Lack Of Christmas Spirit' In Commercial Stores These Days
"You best believe I require everyone to greet me with ‘Merry Christmas.'"
p6foto | Shutterstock Christmas is quickly approaching, and if you’re not feeling the holiday spirit, boomers may encourage you to try harder.
One boomer, in particular, got candid about her frustrations regarding the lack of holiday spirit she sees in most retail stores nowadays and is urging employees to step it up.
A boomer woman complained about the ‘lack of Christmas spirit’ displayed in commercial stores.
A screenshot of the woman’s Facebook post was shared to the subreddit r/BoomersBeingFools.
According to the woman, she was disappointed by the lack of Christmas spirit that was being displayed in her local retail stores during the holiday season.
The woman claims that while she was Christmas shopping at her local Kroger and Walmart, she couldn’t help but notice the absence of decorations around the stores.
“The only stores so far that I have encountered that really celebrate Christmas are TJ Maxx and Lenny’s. I encourage everyone to shop at these stores,” the woman wrote.
“It is very sad to see how our traditions are fading. [You] best believe I require everyone to greet me with ‘Merry Christmas.’”
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The woman asked her Facebook friends if they knew of any companies that “respect the tradition of Christmas” so that she could shop there.
“I have sent in a request to Kroger (really bad reflection of Christmas) to call me,” the woman informed her followers.
“If anyone knows anyone [who works] at Kroger that can inform us why there is a lack of Christmas spirit, I would appreciate it.”
She encouraged others to “stand tough” and start asking store managers why there is a severe lack of Christmas spirit in stores before they give their money to them.
She also advised shoppers that every time they buy something around the holidays, they should wish their cashiers and store representatives a "Merry Christmas" to keep the holiday spirit up and running.
However, many people believed that she was making a mountain out of a molehill. The sheer fact that a 2024 survey found that nearly 10% of adults in the U.S. have no plans to celebrate Christmas solidifies that notion.
People were quick to point out the fact that many people in the United States do not even celebrate Christmas, despite what boomers believe.
Instead of saying “Merry Christmas” to their customers or decorating their stores with strictly just Christmas decorations, many store owners and employees opt to wish their shoppers “Happy Holidays” and leave their walls bare to demonstrate their inclusivity.
Every year, this inevitably annoys someone.
“A few days ago, I was exiting a plane and passed the front crew ... pilot and attendants, a diverse group there to say thanks and goodbye.....and I said, ‘Happy holidays!’ and the one older white woman among them shouted back at me ‘MERRY Christmas! Like she was angry and really letting me know the meaning of the season!” one Redditor commented.
“Saying ‘Happy Holidays’ (if you say anything at all) is just a polite way to respect people you're saying this to. I'm not sure why these culture war dipsticks don't get that the ‘holidays’ include their oh-so-precious Christmas,” another user noted.
“If you invited 10 guests to your home for dinner and knew that 4 of them had nut allergies, you wouldn't make every dish with peanuts and try to force those people to eat said dishes, would you?”
If you celebrate Christmas, you are more than welcome to decorate your own home with all of the lights, trees, and gingerbread houses you desire (and even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, it doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to get festive if you enjoy decorating!)
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However, you have to accept the fact that even though you love Christmas, others do not always take celebrations and decorating as seriously as you do. There may not be a mechanical Santa or classic holiday tunes playing at your local grocery store, and that’s okay!
The responsibilities of store managers mainly consist of checking inventory, scheduling employees to come in, and making sure that their customers find everything they are looking for. The job typically does not involve decorating for the holidays.
So this holiday season, don’t be a different form of the Grinch and attempt to force your beliefs down everyone else’s throats.
No one is taking away your right to celebrate Christmas just because they chose not to.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.