As Christmas Day nears, holiday parties and shopping are on the rise. In 2021, Americans spent around $886.7 billion on Christmas goods, according to yorkstownsentry.com. This spending is a result of people drawing away from the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus’s birth, and instead focusing on the commercial opportunities the holiday offers. Although the joy of gift exchanges and shopping for Christmas is fulfilling, the over-commercialization of Christmas will only become more prevalent as trends arise and sales increase.
Christmas originated as a holiday to celebrate Jesus’s birth, but with more festivities gradually occurring, the religious aspect became overshadowed as time passed. However, tradition did not solidify many of the festivities and symbols now associated with the holiday until much later. Former President Ulysses S. Grant officially established Christmas as a holiday in June 1870, according to classicalhistorian.com. The first 100 years of celebrating Christmas focused solely on the birth of Jesus. Thus, for many Americans, Christmas has always been a time to gather and worship, according to jaipar888.medium.com. It was not until the late 1800s that the commercialization of Christmas, specifically holiday shopping, increased. As these festivities naturally grew in popularity, companies took advantage of this and sought a chance to make money. The tradition of families coming together now includes sending Christmas cards, decorating homes, and buying gifts, according to minted.com.
One specific transformation over time was the development of Advent calendars. Advent is a time when Christians devote the month of December to their faith, according to usccb.org. It has evolved from an annual Christian tradition rooted in faith to a strategy for brands to increase sales. By creating diverse types of Advent calendars like makeup, jewelry, and toy-filled calendars, these calendars take away from the original meaning of Advent, according to islandernews.com. Although there may be good intentions behind these traditions, the true purpose behind all of these activities needs to stay present.
Christmas Day has gone from a religious day full of cheer and gathering to a month of excessive consumerism. Commercialization is the ultimate attempt for retailers to make money during the holiday season. Specifically, the annual event of Black Friday has amplified commercialization. This day full of sales pressures consumers into purchasing many gifts. Shoppers may purchase gifts just because of retailers’ major discounts, according to eii-online.com. In addition to Black Friday, other widespread Christmas traditions, such as vacationing and the Elf on the Shelf, increase focus on materialistic duties rather than on worshipping Jesus, which is the true meaning of the holiday. In fact, in 2024, 48 percent of Americans who celebrate Christmas claimed they do not attend church during Christmas time, according to deseret.com. This statistic proves that while these families are spending the money to promote Christmas, they do not follow through with the true intention behind the religious holiday.
Dr. Hope Hirshorn, Upper School Theology Teacher, demonstrates meaningful Christmas traditions as she spreads holiday cheer while also incorporating the true purpose of Christmas into her daily celebrations. Dr. Hirshorn shared ways she balances popular Christmas festivities and celebrating Jesus’s birth.
“My family’s Christmas traditions have evolved as our six children have grown into young adults,” Dr. Hirshorn said. “At this point, while we all love going to Christmas parties, we also love being home together as a family. Everyone volunteers to take an evening to plan and execute a special dinner and bake delectable desserts. The true highlight for us is attending mass as our main focus is on family time, which helps us think about the Holy Family and their example of love, generosity, and sacrifice.”
The over-commercialization of Christmas is an issue that continues to dominate the season. Reminding people of the true meaning of Christmas, as well as spreading the word of Jesus’s birth, can combat commercialization. Americans must alter the true intentions behind their celebration of Christmas as they focus solely on the festivities and gifts rather than the religious significance.
Featured Image by Bella Boone ’27
