There is little to dislike about

Christmas. We get a much-needed

break from school, allowing us to

spend extra time with loved ones.

But with Christmas decorations

taking over stores by late October,

it’s clear that the holiday is

becoming too commercialized and

losing touch with its true meaning.

Large companies are out for

money and shove Christmas down

our throats so early simply to profit

more from the holiday. Even Black

Friday is at the perfect time for

people to impulse buy presents

and decorations, much of it being

unnecessary.

According to Ruth McClelland-

Nugent, an associate professor

of history at Augusta University,

Christmas commercialization began

back in the 1840s with holiday

advertisements specifically aimed

at children. The ads tried to create

guilt in parents, forcing them to

purchase gifts at this time of year to

ensure their children remain happy

with them.

Christmas has become a holiday

to feed our materialism as a society.

With the influence marketing

strategies have on shoppers, it has

become almost inexcusable not to

buy presents for your loved ones,

which is not the true meaning of

Christmas.

Christmas is meant to be spent

with family and bonding with loved

ones that you might only get the

chance to see around the holidays.

Commercialization has caused the

holiday to be about money instead

of what makes Christmas truly

special. The only way to fix this issue

is for big corporations and shoppers

alike to start focusing on the reason

for the season.

I’m not saying people shouldn’t

celebrate the holidays how they

want. If you want to go crazy

shopping in Target’s wonderland,

you can.

But simply shifting some of your

focus off of buying and instead

making some meaningful gifts and

spending valuable time with those

you love can help give Christmas

back the special meaning it once

had and deserves.