The Commercialization of Christmas

These days, one can walk into a retail store the day after Halloween to find the aisles and shelves filled with mistletoes, jingling bells, and miniature snowmen as Michael Bublé or Mariah Carey plays in the background. Though the Christmas season is over a month away, it seems as if stores and companies are already racing to draw customers in to splurge and make some Christmas purchases. This phenomenon isn’t new, however, as the commercialization of Christmas has long existed throughout American history.

When German immigrants arrived in America, they brought along with them the idea of Christmas as a time for gift-giving and a child-centered tradition. Prior to the 1840s, Christmas was not widely celebrated in America, but with the introduction of compassionate figures like St. Nicholas and Father Christmas, the Christmas tradition entered the Northeast. In cities like New York and Boston, large marketers took the rising popularity of Christmas as an opportunity to make a profit and began incorporating images of Christmas and Santa Claus in their advertisements, especially targeting children.

Later in the early 1900s, as marketers began using psychological theories to refine their mass advertising and mass production strategies, Christmas became more widely adopted by American families. The industry appealed to the public’s sense of warmth and comfort to drive their sophisticated campaigns. People were attracted by the message that was associated with Christmas, the idea that the holiday was an experience in which their families would come and spend time together. All they had to do was buy some gifts. Ultimately, their marketing scheme worked, and Christmas soon became notoriously commercialized. Over the years, stores and companies have expanded their budget to evolve their marketing campaigns and showcase grander, more artistic Christmas displays. 

Since the 1900s, the commercial version of Christmas has developed into a full-scale event that has started to face a somewhat negative response from consumers. For Christians especially, the commercialization and modernization of Christmas signifies a deviation from the traditional, core meaning of the religious day. But even those who are not religiously devout have voiced their complaints against the increasing exploitation of Christmas for purely economic reasons. Many, including myself, feel that the Christmas spirit has faded as much of its original importance has become exchanged for the material and superficial. It seems as if Christmas decorations are appearing earlier and earlier each year, a sign that stores are attempting to expand the holiday shopping season to give themselves more time to earn consumer spendings. There used to be a feeling of warmth and excitement when I walked into stores in December to see festive decor spread out, but now the stores seem cold and misplaced in October with their faded holiday music and tired workers dressed in deceptively cheerful Christmas sweaters (who are probably sick of hearing the same five Christmas songs on-repeat). The over-commercialization of Christmas has removed much of the original splendor and joy of the holiday.

Unfortunately, even the most intimate and important aspects of the holiday are starting to become infected with elements of materialism. We all enjoy Christmas for the tradition of gift-giving between loved ones as a sign of appreciation and intimacy. We have all experienced that sense of excitement as we open our presents on Christmas morning, thrilled to see what our families got us regardless of its monetary value. Whether it be fuzzy socks for the cold weather or the latest iPhone for the new year, each gift should be appreciated for the personal relationship between the giver and receiver it symbolizes. However, as toxic messages about wealth and luxury get propagated throughout society, more and more people are forgetting the true intent of gift-giving. As it becomes easier to share content on social media, people have begun using their platforms to show the presents they received to the public. Of course, people should be allowed to share their gifts with gratification and joy because, after all, that’s what the holiday season is all about! But nowadays, especially with large influencers and family accounts, Christmas present haul trends have become popularized on apps like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Often embellished with captivating titles and clickbait thumbnails, these videos feature a massive load of expensive presents. While there may be the innocent intention of sharing moments of fun, it certainly does put a spotlight on consumerism. By creating unrealistic standards for Christmas presents, they create a skewed perspective of the holiday and put pressure on parents to buy expensive presents for their kids. Not only does this give kids unreasonable expectations, but it may also cause feelings of guilt among those who are unable to afford such costly gifts.

Christmas should be a time to look forward to, not a time of guilt. With corporations shoving Christmas into our faces to make a profit, it can be hard to remember the celebration’s true values and traditions, but it is important that we don’t become lost in the web of commercialization and materialism. Amid our constantly busy working lives, this should be the one time of year when we look forward to slowing down and spending time with our loved ones. At the end of the day, we should all just be enjoying the spirit and coziness of the season, spreading some luck, not bucks.

Sources

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