Spending an hour finding parking, five hours searching every corner of Tyson’s Corner Mall for a deal, and spending an entire pay check by the end of the day. The materialism that is the holiday season has inundated our society and can be felt by any AHS student who takes a trip to the mall. Whether it be a tacky Christmas sweater from your unfamiliar aunt or the Iphone 5 you’ve been eyeing for so long, the goal of the American Christmas is to give and receive gifts. It may be the most over-voiced complaint in American culture, but Christmas has truly become a sensationalized commercial holiday for retail companies, losing its true meaning.
It is commonplace in the United States to lose the larger image of holidays for the self benefit and gain of those who celebrate it. I enjoy fireworks and barbecue on the Fourth of July just like anyone else, but I will be the first to admit that I don’t have my nose in the textbooks learning about the nation’s independence. This overgeneralization has stretched across many holidays, religious or secular, however the Christmas season is the most prominent.
My Catholic faith has often taught me to live modestly and humbly. It is paramount that we as Christians dedicate our lives to God and helping others that aren’t as fortunate as us. It is written, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 3:15). It is because of these basic doctrines that I find such an issue with the irony of greed on the holiest day in the Christian faith. As many know, Christmas is the time in which Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, their God and their savior, which also brought them the forgiveness of sins and the ability to go to Heaven. However, because of the aspect of gift exchanging, the focus has been centered on material things, creating a sense of unfortunate irony.
I know that people will never end the tradition of exchaning gifts, nor would I want them to. Waking up on Christmas morning to a glowing tree, towering over what seems to be a sea of gifts, will always provide the sense of magic that marks our childhood. However, I believe that those who celebrate Christmas remember what they are celebrating and why they are celebrating it. It is easy to get lost in excitement of things, yet we must put God before any material things.
Whether it be a Sunday in church or a couple minutes out of your day to read the Bible, realizing the true meaning of christmas will be more gratifying than anything that comes in a box.
I also realize there are many people who are not Christian, but still enjoy the holiday and use it as a vehicle for exchanging gifts and being with family. However, it is equally important that they remember that it is not about the gifts you give and receive, but the person on the other end of the transaction.
