The holiday season is just getting started, and I’m already over it. Every year it seems like the inevitable holiday ad campaigns appear earlier and earlier.

It’s like a preemptive strike by the clothing, toy and video game industries to all outdo one another’s ability to have the first advertisement for the next gadget or gizmo you think you need but really don’t.

I remember seeing the first ad this year sometime right before Halloween. I wasn’t surprised at all. I was sitting on my couch watching three TVs, as is my normal way of getting as much news input at one time as possible.

On one station, I was watching Bill O’Reilly make a public spectacle of himself talking about God-only-knows-what. On another channel, E! was talking about how apparently being really intoxicated behind the wheel turns celebrity Australians into outspoken bigots; I was unaware of this phenomenon.

On the third TV, I was watching football. Well, to be more exact, I was watching commercials in between the game. Then it happened. I swear I could have had my eyes closed to know what was coming on.

A sound that I dread more than all others started jing-jing-jinglin’ on the TV. I threw up a little in my mouth and tried to brace myself for what was going to happen next.

“Get the one you love what she really wants this year,” the sickeningly nice-guy-voice said.

It was an ad for jewelry from some over-priced jeweler that I fought in vain to forget, but I couldn’t. I won’t divulge the name for the sake of my computer’s health. I think vomit is bad for it, but apparently every kiss begins with them.

I regained my composure and went into a five-minute rant to my roommate, who was unfortunate enough to be sitting next to me. I don’t need to be reminded that I don’t have money.

I’m still in college and it just makes me angrier realizing that I’m not going to be able to afford all those great new things.

That’s right, just because I don’t approve of the holiday spending craze doesn’t mean I don’t think all those great new gadgets are cool. It would be great if I had an extra $600 to drop on a new PlayStation 3.

Then there’s the guilt that I can’t help but feel for my parents who, unconsciously spend exorbitantly on presents for me and my two siblings – all in the unconditional love of us and Christmas. I’ll never ask my parents to spend that kind of money on me, nor do I believe that they would.

How is my nine-year-old brother supposed to know any better? He lives with my parents on his own. He’s basically an only child. My other middle brother and I moved out years ago.

Has Christmas become nothing more than a race to buy crap we don’t need for people we love in a futile attempt at expressing feelings we should be expressing anyway? The gift is never a substitute for expressing one’s feelings, it’s supplemental at best.

Moreover, what kind of example does this set for the youth? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids in the United States watch about four hours of TV a day. That’s at least eight different TV shows with an average of five minutes of commercials per show.

In a year, that averages out to nearly 1,023 hours in front of a TV. That’s nearly 512 shows a year with approximately 2,560 commercials in between. Christmas lists are going to become more like Christmas catalogues.

Christmas just doesn’t seem like a holiday anymore. It’s more like we’re guaranteeing tuition for some CEO’s brat. The holiday season isn’t being circled on the calendar by just children anymore. Industries spend all year preparing for this season.

My favorite part of being a kid at Christmas time was going to the pine tree farm with the family to cut down the perfect tree. As the years went by, the trips became more important to us as we all had different things going on in our lives.

My parents will still request a Christmas list at least two months in advance. I still ask for the same thing every year. It’s not much, but it keeps me happy for at least a few months. This way, if they do decide to go a little crazy that year, I can be pleasantly surprised.

There are still very specific things I love about this time of year. I think it has something to do with reliving some of those moments from years past. My family and I still make it a point to go cut down the tree together, come home and decorate it while my mom makes cookies and other treats.

My dad hangs out watching TV (probably making mental notes) and drinking a beer. That feels like Christmas to me. In fact, I’m getting all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.

Christmas isn’t an excuse to spend money. It certainly isn’t about getting presents. It shouldn’t be about feeling stressed out over not being able to spend money either. It’s a time to feel unconditionally happy about what you do have. Hopefully that will involve sharing the time with the one(s) you love. Tell them whenever you can, too. I hear they like that a lot.

Josh Staab can be reached at [email protected]