By Meg Hudson
With Christmas just around the corner, folks rush to find the perfect gifts for their loved ones. The only thing is, that it seems that people have lost sight of what Christmas really means. Christmas is supposed to be a holiday that celebrates family and selflessness. Nowadays, it has become a holiday of materialism, as stores flaunt holiday deals and perfect gifts.
Christmas is a holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a Christian holiday of worship and hope and it is intended to be spent with family or in church. However, with the introduction of Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, Christmas has quickly become less of a religious holiday and more of a selfish celebration.
Children today do not understand the true meaning of Christmas and most have become spoiled by this holiday. Nowadays, children expect a bunch of presents come Christmas morning and forget that it’s really supposed to celebrate love and family, not how many gifts are under the tree.
Local sophomore, Olivia Capriotti shared, “Christmas stresses too much on material things rather than family. It’s just too overproduced and all people care about is getting gifts.”
For those who are in charge of purchasing the family’s presents, it is a stressful event. People no longer give one present for each person, now it is at least 20 presents or bust. The stress from gifts have tainted the holiday spirit. People are not as happy or generous, they are more concerned with their own problems and how much money they are going to spend on Christmas gifts.
“The only gifts we all really need is time with those we love and the memories we can create together. That is a gift that lasts a lifetime,” Beth Scanlon commented when questioned about gifts at Christmas.
So no matter how many gifts you feel pressured to give this year, just remember the true meaning of Christmas. The stores will try to persuade you to only care about what you’re buying, but don’t let them. Christmas is about Jesus Christ, family, and generosity.
(Pictures from http://www.christmasgiftideaz.com and http://www.michaelhyatt.com)
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