Those who are foodies will know of Fortnum & Mason, the upper-crust department store in England. So-called "hampers" of food and celebratory goodies have been their staple for more than three centuries. I've never been able to afford one of my own, but I've helped friends eat theirs from time to time.
On an idle whim I figured I'd look at F&M's super-deluxe top-of-the-line Imperial Christmas hamper, only to find out that it's not one hamper, but five. Talk about sticker shock - it costs just under $9,000! Click the image below for a larger view.
You'll find all of the products photographed and listed in loving detail at the hamper's Web page. It's interesting to read it from a Christian Christmas perspective; Christ has been taken completely out of their Christmas, replaced by conspicuous consumption and indigestion! Oh, well . . . if that's their thing, so be it. I'm going to enjoy a much more relaxed Christmas with my lady and our friends - without bankrupting any of us!
Still, it was fun to see how the top half of one per cent of the population lives.
Peter
Yes, by western design, Christ no longer has anything to do with the celebration of his birthday.
ReplyDeleteWhen you had Christmas but spend the big bucks to do Gluttonous instead.
ReplyDeleteThey do some very nice biscuits, getting some of those for Christmas presents is as far as I have got.
ReplyDeleteSometime in about 1983, when I was stationed in Athens, I was stuck for a Christmas present for my paternal grandmother. She had a whole household full of things - so I thought I would send her a Fortnum & Mason hamper. (A small but affordable one.) She and my great-aunt were English, but long-resident in the US, and I thought they might appreciate the heck out of one. So I filled out the order form, bought an international postal money order and sent it off. This was before email, and all I had for an address was a military post-office box. No personal phone number, either. Weeks later, someone from the F&M customer service department called the unit where I was working, and asked for me! They had worked out where I was, and somehow found the number for the AFRTS radio station there! There was a problem with my order, as one of the items couldn't be imported to the US, and they wanted my approval for a suitable sub. I approved it, and the hamper was sent off. It was really a sterling moment in customer service, how they managed to track me down and find a phone number! The hamper was a wild success with my grandmother and great aunt. They loved it - and I was glad later on, as it was the last gift I was able to buy for her, as Grandma H. passed away several months later
ReplyDeleteSelfridges (Oxford Street) has a very nice Xmas Hamper for $410. Harrods (Knightsbridge) will prolly try to match Fortnum&Mason price wise. Go with Selfridges is my suggestion.
ReplyDeleteA so called underground cartoon from the 70's showed a large robot going down the street, bellowing Christmas ads, with built in gift dispensaries. In the foreground, someone is preparing to throw a lit stick of dynamite at it. The trend was both obvious and obnoxious even back then.
ReplyDelete...People create their own hell... Christmas is about Christ in my house. We get together and have a good dinner. I give my sons money gifts. It's almost ZERO stress.
ReplyDeleteWe really need to split the holiday into the secular, called Excessmas, and the Christ-centered celebration called Nativity.
ReplyDeleteI like the Orthodox way of keeping December 25 as a religious holiday and making January 6, Feast of the Magi (and 12th day of Christmas) a big feast and gift day.
DeleteJonathan