It’s amazing how early retail stores begin decorating and selling gifts for the Christmas holiday. It would be nice if the “lay away” merchandise program applied to the Christian aspect of Christmas. It would be available at any time and any day – just for the asking.
From 2005 – 2019, the portion of Americans who said their Christmas celebrations were “strongly religious” dropped from 47 percent to 35 percent.
According to www.corechristianity.com, “The religious significance (of Christmas) has all but been stripped from our celebrations. After all, the season’s movies, songs, and decorations have more to do with the Santa folktale than they do with the incarnation of the eternal Son of God.”
The commercialization of the holiday season is overwhelming. For example, Christmas used to be all about giving without any ulterior motives. Now – as a result of all the verbal and written advertising – most persons think that the joy of the holiday comes from the exchanged gifts.
After all, it is Christ’s birthday we’re celebrating. It is not celebrating how cheap the store’s coffee maker was priced.
In fact, it seems crazy! I could not believe how several local stores were preparing for the onslaught of holiday customers. In the midst of all the early advertising preparation, the true meaning of the season has slipped into the back seat. While walking down store aisles or viewing various computer web pages, one can envision red and green garlands, rows upon rows of string lights, shelves of shiny ornaments, and listening to Mariah Carey belt out over the store’ intercom, “All I Want for Christmas is You.”
Last year in Smithville, there were a few churches that serve Christmas Eve communion. There are no churches who have Christmas Cantatas anymore.
With each passing year, I’ve begun noticing the commercialism of Christmas beginning earlier and earlier – some before Halloween. In today’s society, Christmas is used simply as a marketing ploy. For example, the total holiday expenditures today were expected to exceed well over $1 trillion.
Historically, the origin of commercializing Christmas began in the 1840’s in the United States when it entered the Northeast, and its big cultural centers like New York and Boston, as a commercially tied holiday aimed at children.
With Christmas marketing beginning earlier and the average holiday spending in America rising every year, it is easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas. Commercialism is taking away from the many sites and sounds of the Christmas season – today, it seems to be more about money than religion. It is easy to forget what Christmas really is about – family and tradition.
From 2005 – 2019, the portion of Americans who said their Christmas celebrations were “strongly religious” dropped from 47 percent to 35 percent.
According to www.corechristianity.com, “The religious significance (of Christmas) has all but been stripped from our celebrations. After all, the season’s movies, songs, and decorations have more to do with the Santa folktale than they do with the incarnation of the eternal Son of God.”
The commercialization of the holiday season is overwhelming. For example, Christmas used to be all about giving without any ulterior motives. Now – as a result of all the verbal and written advertising – most persons think that the joy of the holiday comes from the exchanged gifts.
After all, it is Christ’s birthday we’re celebrating. It is not celebrating how cheap the store’s coffee maker was priced.
In fact, it seems crazy! I could not believe how several local stores were preparing for the onslaught of holiday customers. In the midst of all the early advertising preparation, the true meaning of the season has slipped into the back seat. While walking down store aisles or viewing various computer web pages, one can envision red and green garlands, rows upon rows of string lights, shelves of shiny ornaments, and listening to Mariah Carey belt out over the store’ intercom, “All I Want for Christmas is You.”
Last year in Smithville, there were a few churches that serve Christmas Eve communion. There are no churches who have Christmas Cantatas anymore.
With each passing year, I’ve begun noticing the commercialism of Christmas beginning earlier and earlier – some before Halloween. In today’s society, Christmas is used simply as a marketing ploy. For example, the total holiday expenditures today were expected to exceed well over $1 trillion.
Historically, the origin of commercializing Christmas began in the 1840’s in the United States when it entered the Northeast, and its big cultural centers like New York and Boston, as a commercially tied holiday aimed at children.
With Christmas marketing beginning earlier and the average holiday spending in America rising every year, it is easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas. Commercialism is taking away from the many sites and sounds of the Christmas season – today, it seems to be more about money than religion. It is easy to forget what Christmas really is about – family and tradition.
However, unless the money-driven culture in America changes, neither will the superficiality of Christmas.
