Long Dresses, Lent and Culture

A family member recently asked us "what do the kids want for Easter?, I plan on buying them some presents." Presents? when we were children this wasn't a practice. Why has it become so now? Then I realised that this is what passes for culture in America. We are a consumer based country, denial of religious practices by religious "free" Christians has led us to the point where all we have as American's are buying gifts for Christmas and Easter, and many times not even attending a worship service assoctiated with it. The only recognized holidays are the federally noticed ones. But we have another path we can choose. Following the traditional church calander. If you consider yourself a traditional Christian this is your culture. Without it you will be awash in a world of consumerism and meaningless holidays. Don't get me wrong, being a veteran and having lost family members in war, Veterans and Memorial day are special to me, but for many it is just extra day off of work.
This line of thought started a year or so ago when a friend who normally decries American homogenous culture, made disparaging remarks about some local Baptist's whose women folk always wore long dresses. I attempted to point out his inconsistancy in this matter but to no avail. In his mind different was weird, even though he knows he wants the culture to be something more than new cars, stylish clothes, mall shopping, sitcoms, and ESPN. We will never be able as a country to have some kind of deeply spiritual, or meaningful cultural practices, it's too big and varied and has been for a long time.
I have seen postings lately questioning the need to observe Lent with the traditional "no halleluhas" and personal denials. As Lutherans we know that the giving something up for Lent does not merit us anything in heaven, and the changes in the liturgical are probably adiaphoria as far as many are concerned. Regardless, I personally exhort all who are interested, into observing the traditions of Lent. Wether it is giving up something we like to eat so that we may contemplate Christ every time we eat, or taking that extra money we may have from our denials and doing something that will show love to our neighbors. For me it is a disciplining tool that reminds me that Christ suffered for me and I was bought at a price.
I started engaging in Lenten observations 4 or so years ago, since then it has increased my interest in the Church calander, and following that as my primary counting of time through the year. Family research revealed that patron family saints were St. Anne and St. John. So along with Lutheran Church calander we also celebrate these two saints' feast day's. The primary value here is that we are making christianity our culture.When you count the days from Church seasons and festival, you begin changing your viewpoint of the world, and expressing your beliefs in the way you live your life, which is the meaning of culture.