Has commercialization turned Christmas into something it was never meant to be? The once joyous celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ has shifted its focus to gifts, tunes, and Santa. In addition, the secularization of Christmas decorations and the marking of Christmas as “universal” has stripped it of much of its religious significance.
The shift away from Christ is clearly visible in the growing emphasis on Santa Claus and getting gifts. While there is nothing wrong with gift-giving, it has gotten to a point where children only see Christmas as a day where they receive presents and nothing else. Moreover, the pressure on parents to spend money on these gifts can distract them from spiritual reflection. Stress about budgeting, finding gifts and attending events like tree lightings or Santa visits at the mall can limit time for prayer, church services or family traditions rooted in faith. Instead of feeling joyous about the birth of Jesus, many families are left anxious or overwhelmed due to the copious amounts of planning and preparation it takes to meet these expectations. In addition, the focus on Santa as the “savior” of Christmas has led many to forget who the true Savior is and why the celebration of Christmas was created in the first place. To add on, decorations too have become a major part of the celebration, but often pull attention away from the true purpose of the holiday.
The shift towards Christmas being a “holiday for all” rather than a Christian holiday is becoming increasingly problematic. Many corporations market Christmas as just a season of gift-giving, and secular decorations reflect this. During December, most public places in the US are decorated with Christmas trees, presents, colorful lights and other festive symbols—yet one aspect is noticeably absent: Christ. Similarly, mass marketing has taken Christian traditions and made them secular. Take the Advent calendar, for example, once a simple way of counting down the days until the holiday has turned into another corporate tactic to encourage consumer spending.
Overall, the traditional Christian values of the holiday have shifted to a focus shaped by corporate greed and secularism.