Judge — December 2, 1922 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Judge Magazine Cover, December 2, 1922 **What We See:** The cover shows two young children in sailor outfits playing with what appears to be lottery or bingo cards scattered around them. The caption reads "The Christmas Spirit." **The Satire:** This is likely satirizing the commercialization of Christmas and the gambling culture of the 1920s era. By depicting innocent children engaged in games of chance, the cartoonist criticizes how American consumer culture and potentially illegal gambling had infiltrated even holiday traditions meant for families. The "Christmas Spirit" title is ironic—suggesting that materialistic pursuits and games of chance had replaced the spiritual values traditionally associated with Christmas. The Prohibition-era 1920s saw widespread illegal gambling, making this commentary particularly pointed.