QUOTE(Dr Sturm @ Dec 10 2009, 01:40 AM)

Hypocrite. If you ever lay down money for anything nonessential, you are a hypocrite.
Not to mention, Christmas is the whore of religious holidays as it is, having been placed and given a variety of traditions for the mere purpose of a) interrupting pagan holidays and b) making itself more appealing to non-Christians. Now, if you were going to avoid candy on Easter, then you might have some form of legitimate claim as that's probably the only legitimate Christian holiday, but as it is, you just decided to rebel against what is essentially a secular end-of-the-year festival.
Oh yeah, I got a gecko! I just don't know what to name him.
I never lay down money for anything nonessential. It does pile up over time but I never save it for any specific products; rather I just have it around without any use for it until once every couple of weeks or so I see the need to buy a few books or manga or whatever, and in these cases it's good that I have some €uro around.
I do see your other points though, and my defence might be void in the first place, but I at least don't want to contribute too much to an even further erosion of the festival.
Also it be added that I wouldn't really consider myself Christian any more, but that gives me all the more reason not to opulently celebrate it. Even if it's already become a part of German culture without the religious aspects, but in that area it's also being increasingly influenced by the American interpretations. See Santa Claus; bugger off, we have Saint Nicholas and the Christkind already!
I'd suggest callling him Lina, but you're saying he's male. What about Ash?
This post has been edited by P.P.A.: Dec 10 2009, 06:54 AM