Christmas is the quintessential Western holiday. In some respects, it is a celebration of the birth of Christ. However, the secular aspects of the holiday have taken over and it has become a season of consumerism, commercialism, and greed. Christmas is a time when companies come out with their latest gadgets and gizmos, items that we don’t really need but which we buy anyway. It is also a time of year that sees charities collecting donations for the less fortunate.
The problem is that Christmas is the time that we see children in need. It is a time that we see people who are less fortunate than ourselves. It is a time when the gap between the haves and the have-nots is very apparent. It is a time when the rich can give to the poor and the poor can get charity.
Christmas is a time of year when we see the spirit of giving rise up among people. It is a time of year when people who are less fortunate than us can see that it is still good in the world. They can see that people who are better off than themselves still care about them. They can see that people who are less fortunate than themselves still have some sort of hope.
It is for this reason that Christmas is so important to people. However, there are some who feel that Christmas is losing its shine. They feel that the joy of giving has been replaced by the commercialism of the season. They feel that Christmas isn’t about giving but about getting.
In some places, it seems as though Christmas has lost its spirit. It seems as though people have become so used to consumerism that they just expect more and more to appear under their Christmas trees each year. It seems as though people have become so used to commercialism that they are angry if their favorite TV shows are interrupted or if stores aren’t open on Christmas Day.
Christmas shouldn’t be about shopping, it should be about giving and helping those less fortunate than ourselves. Many people have forgotten this over the years and now many people see Christmas as a time of year when they can get all sorts of great bargains on items they don’t need in order to help others who are less fortunate than themselves. They don’t see it as a time when they can give a little bit back to others but rather a time when they can use other people’s misfortune as an opportunity for personal gain.
Christmas can still be about giving back to other people if we take a look at the origins of many popular customs such as the Christmas tree and Santa Claus. The tree was originally put up because it was believed that trees were inhabited by God’s presence or by spirits, which would protect those in homes where trees were present after dark from demons and evil spirits who would otherwise harm them (Ward). The concept of Santa Claus was developed because Saint Nicholas gave away all his wealth except for three things: his faith, his good name, and his will (Jenkins). Today Santa Claus is known for giving presents instead of being one who gives away all his wealth like Saint Nicholas did but he still maintains this image of being a charitable man whose goal in life is to help others out without expecting anything in return for doing so (Jenkins). These traditions show us how important charity has been throughout history and how important it will continue to be in many cultures even today (Ward).
The fact that we have forgotten these customs does not mean that we shouldn’t celebrate them during the holidays each year because we should! Rather than seeing them as traditions from our past, we should see them as traditions from our present which show us what our future should look like — one filled with charity and generosity towards our fellow human beings who are less fortunate than ourselves (Ward). It doesn’t matter whether you celebrate Christian or secular aspects of Christmas because both have strong charity roots! What matters is that during this holiday season we remember why we celebrate it in the first place – so everyone can enjoy an extra little bit of comfort and happiness during such an uncertain time of year!
