(From Lat. gluttire, to swallow, to gulp down), the excessive indulgence in food and drink. The moral deformity discernible in this vice lies in its defiance of the order postulated by reason, which prescribes necessity as the measure of indulgence in eating and drinking. This deordination, according to the teaching of the Angelic Doctor, may happen in five ways which are set forth in the scholastic verse: "Prae-propere, laute, nimis, ardenter, studiose" or, according to the apt rendering of Father Joseph Rickably: too soon, too expensively, too much, too eagerly, too daintily. Clearly one who uses food or drink in such a way as to injure his health or impair the mental equipment needed for the discharge of his duties, is guilty of the sin of gluttony. It is incontrovertible that to eat or drink for the mere pleasure of the experience, and for that exclusively, is likewise to commit the sin of gluttony.
Wikipedia / Infogalactic Gluttony Entry
I thought this was a timely topic to reflect on given that some people eat too much around the holidays
Our family focuses on making Christmas a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
We buy our children ONE small gift so they don't feel excluded from the tradition, but we also remind them it represents the gold, frankincense, and myrrh gifted to Jesus Christ by the three wise men. They understand that materialism and the gluttony of needless consumption is ugly and spiritually empty.
I don't beat my children over the head with speeches, but throughout the year we regularly discuss the adverts on television and how owning a 4WD does not equal freedom and how expensive sneakers does not equal attractiveness or friendship or happiness and how those things can only be achieved through a healthy, spiritual mind.
Our family enjoys the day together, we share our favorite bible stories about Jesus Christ and in the evening, we enjoy a nice meal in thankful celebration of our Lord and Savior.
slightly unrelated to your comment but lately I've seen some food commercials in a different light, as encouraging gluttony and being a problem for those who have trouble not indulging to excess - the presentations almost seem bad comparable to the half naked figures sometimes used to sell products
No one burns in hell over a 4WD, trust me.