The Economist published a chart comparing the anticipated average Christmas spending in and per person GDP of several countries.
So What?
American’s plan to spend more on Christmas this year than citizens of any country apart from Luxembourg. Of course, once one considers the spending as a percentage of per capita GDP, the United States leaps well in front of Luxembourg.
While there is considerable publicity given to Christmas gift giving and the spending associated with such, little or nothing is typically said about how our spending habits compare to those who live elsewhere. What is your initial response to this data? How do you balance the consumer aspects of Christmas with the sacred story of God’s birth in human form?