Boycotting Christmas

Cast of 5. (3 youth, 2 adults) About 6-7 mins.

Excerpt:

BOYCOTTING CHRISTMAS

Written by Warren Sager

EMILY
I know some people who have an agreement, that they don’t get gifts for each other because that way they can save money for buying the gifts that they have to buy.
TAYLOR
There. You said it. They have to buy. They are obligated to buy gifts.
EMILY
Well… if it’s for children. You don’t want to leave kids out.
TANNER
That includes me, right?
TAYLOR
Hey… I know some kids who make long lists and they pass them to all their relatives and they get everything on their list! Most kids rake in quite a haul on Christmas! I think it kind of takes away the whole spirit of giving… if all that the kids are doing is getting.
EMILY
Okay… I have a solution! Let’s boycott gift giving this year!
TANNER
Wait… what?
They both sit

SCENE FOUR:
This time Tanner stands up
TANNER
Emily! Are you seriously going to boycott gift giving?
EMILY
I’m thinking about it. Why do you care?
TANNER
Because that idea might spread… you could start a revolution.
EMILY
I’d hardly call it a revolution.
TAYLOR
Tanner’s just worried about his own stash being depleted this year. I wouldn’t worry about it, Tanner. That idea will never catch on. People are not going to stop giving gifts just because one person does.
EMILY
I guess I would come off looking like I don’t want to give. But that’s not it at all.
TAYLOR
I get it. You just want people to stop and think. Christmas gets too commercial. All we think about is opening presents on Christmas day.
EMILY
Right. And I want to rethink the whole gift giving thing. It’s not that I think we don’t know what Christmas really means. Everyone here knows what Christmas really means. We focus on the birth of Christ every year. I think we have that understood.
TAYLOR
Yeah… but is it only at church? What about on Christmas day in our homes?
EMILY
Well, when Christmas falls on a Sunday, then we go to church on Christmas day.
TAYLOR
But we still have our gift giving time at home. Maybe if we stop and think about why we are giving gifts. I don’t know… talk about it or something.
EMILY
It’s tradition. But I guess it must have started somewhere. Wasn’t it Saint Nicholas who gave to poor people and that started the whole Santa Claus thing?
TAYLOR
I thought it went back to the beginning… with the wise men bringing gifts to Jesus. They gave gold, frankincense and myrrh.
TANNER
Or there is the ultimate gift.
TAYLOR AND EMILY
The ultimate gift?
TANNER
Yes… God giving us His Son, Jesus. His coming to earth was a gift to all mankind. He came to save people from their sins. He gave us the gift of salvation. Eternal life… Jesus is the ultimate gift.