The Commercialization of Christmas
What is Christmas really about? Is it not about family and friends? Is it not about spending time with the people you care about and showing them that you love them? Few years now, it seems as if it’s becoming more and more about gifts. If you haven’t noticed, over the past couple of years, shopping centers have been putting out Christmas decorations earlier and earlier. It used to be that you didn’t see any Christmas themes until December but now days, it’s not uncommon to see them go up after Halloween. With office secret Santa parties where people talk about random things including the words, “I hate my job” and shoppers wishing they had some passive income to pay for their long list of gifts to buy, perhaps this holiday is headed in the wrong direction.
So who are the people pushing this idea that it’s more about buying gifts? The corporations of course. For them, it’s all about getting people in the buying mindset. This is why you will hear Christmas songs play throughout the mall. Companies have spent millions of dollars over decades to produce this almost hypnotic effect on people and boy does it work. The 4 weeks leading up to Christmas is the biggest shopping time of the year. In fact, this is where most retailers make most of their money.
There’s nothing wrong with buying gifts of course but just remember that spending time and appreciating those around you is way more important than who gets who want and how much they spent. And now for a Christmas song.