The children's sticky wishes
How the Exciting Pre-Christmas Spirit Turned into Commercialism. Commentary by *Werbewoche* editor Anne-Friederike Wilhelm.
Not everything used to be better - but most things were. Wish lists to the Christ Child, for example. As a little girl, I used to rack my brains just before Christmas as to the best way to start: "Dear Christ Child, I would like ..." Perhaps a little undiplomatic. "Dear baby Jesus, I've been good (ask mummy) and would like ..." That's better. At the beginning of December, my siblings and I wrote our wish lists full of devotion and, just to be on the safe side, drew what we wanted from the bottom of our hearts: Doll or teddy bear, fire engine or store. Maybe the Christ Child doesn't have time to read.
Painting encouraged our creativity as well as our modesty: I found it hard enough to draw exactly the teddy bear I wanted. There was no time to put the doll's pram and the bicycle on paper as well. After all, the wish list had to be on the windowsill outside my parents' bedroom in time for the first Advent.
And what do wish lists look like today? I stopped drawing them a long time ago, but my eldest godchild is just starting. With the same meticulousness as I did back then. Line by line, as precisely as possible, so that the Christ Child knows exactly what to bring.
I'm glad the little one isn't leafing through advertising brochures yet. Last week, the Coop brochure for children's toys was circulated. "For children's dreams" is written on the front. A Christmas tree, baubles and lots of large packages make it unmistakably clear that it's already Christmas. After all, it's already the beginning of November. Oh well.
Even the grown-up child is overwhelmed when leafing through the pages: Teddy or dinosaur, doctor's case or the magical bead weaving frame? "It's not easy to draw something like that," I'm thinking - then I notice the sheet of glue in the middle of the booklet. How wonderful! All the toys that awaken children's desires at the front and back are depicted in miniature in the middle. On stickers. Why draw or paint? Just peel them off and you're done. Thank you, Coop. After all, today's children have little time to worry about their wish lists. The older kids probably take a quick photo with their cell phone and send a wish MMS to their parents. Wish list? The Coop calls it a "wish list". And means "order form". Well then: Merry Christmas!
Anne-Friederike Wilhelm
Painting encouraged our creativity as well as our modesty: I found it hard enough to draw exactly the teddy bear I wanted. There was no time to put the doll's pram and the bicycle on paper as well. After all, the wish list had to be on the windowsill outside my parents' bedroom in time for the first Advent.
And what do wish lists look like today? I stopped drawing them a long time ago, but my eldest godchild is just starting. With the same meticulousness as I did back then. Line by line, as precisely as possible, so that the Christ Child knows exactly what to bring.
I'm glad the little one isn't leafing through advertising brochures yet. Last week, the Coop brochure for children's toys was circulated. "For children's dreams" is written on the front. A Christmas tree, baubles and lots of large packages make it unmistakably clear that it's already Christmas. After all, it's already the beginning of November. Oh well.
Even the grown-up child is overwhelmed when leafing through the pages: Teddy or dinosaur, doctor's case or the magical bead weaving frame? "It's not easy to draw something like that," I'm thinking - then I notice the sheet of glue in the middle of the booklet. How wonderful! All the toys that awaken children's desires at the front and back are depicted in miniature in the middle. On stickers. Why draw or paint? Just peel them off and you're done. Thank you, Coop. After all, today's children have little time to worry about their wish lists. The older kids probably take a quick photo with their cell phone and send a wish MMS to their parents. Wish list? The Coop calls it a "wish list". And means "order form". Well then: Merry Christmas!
Anne-Friederike Wilhelm
