This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Niel Snyder ("A happier Christmas," Forum, Dec. 5), Jon Wilmot ("Mall and Xmas spirit," Forum, Dec. 5) and a bunch of online pundits criticized Adam Gold ("Mall not festive," Forum Dec. 1) for not having the true spirit of Christmas in his lament that City Creek Center's Christmas decorations weren't sufficiently lavish.
Christmas should be about kindness and giving, but decorations help. As a child, I loved going with my folks to New York City to see the tree at Rockefeller Center and all the other decorations.
Last year, I revisited Manhattan. Wow! Saks was a winter wonderland, and Macy's was festooned with "lights, lavish Victorian greenery and unique displays," as Gold wrote and Wilmot belittled. Such decorations do get one into the season's spirit much more than spare, understated glitzy ornaments hanging from the ceiling of the City Creek Macy's.
I've been told that downtown Salt Lake was once so decorated, with garlands across the streets and Christmas trees along the sidewalks. The city should do more to reclaim that spirit.
We should help the needy, but there's nothing wrong with over-the-top dressing up. It's fun, and that's a good thing, too.
Mitch Downs
Salt Lake City