What happened to the true meaning of Christmas?
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
KASSI DOS SANTOS
For years people have celebrated Christmas with presents in mind. All the anticipation we feel during this holiday is mostly just wondering what kind of gifts we are going to get, how much money we will have to spend and where we are going to celebrate.
It seems that somewhere along the way, the holiday message has been lost and replaced by the celebrity awestruck, materialistic attitudes that are of more concern than the joy surrounding the Christmas season. Christmas has now become a massive marketing event where companies can advertise their products as a “must have Christmas gift”.
With all the worrying we do we do not have a chance to actually celebrate the reason for the season. Christmas is so much more than presents and good deals. It is not about who will buy the best gift or who will spend the most money.
Stores have taken advantage of the season by profiting from people buying gifts for their families at any expense. So what do we get? Stores using a holiday as an excuse to run sales, which brings in maniacal hordes of crazed shoppers buying gifts for people.
Many people lose their Christmas spirit, because they end up using most of their paycheck to buy gifts for the people that are important to them. Those of us who do not have any money are stuck feeling guilty that we cannot buy presents for those we love.
There are always those people who find any way to turn things into a competition, so instead of sitting back and enjoying the beautiful lights and scenery, they compete with their neighbors on who has the best decorations. Though it can be a fun thing to do, sometimes it can get out of hand, and people lose the meaning of Christmas in trying to make their homes the best on the block.
It would be good to see the old traditions return, and for Christmas to be celebrated for the right reasons, not as a commercial opportunity. People do still enjoy the traditional ceremonies, but it is not like how it used to be. Maybe someday, people will lose their materialistic thinking and go back to the old times.