Don't forget about Christmas this year!
It's the time for caroling and sitting by the fireplace. For joy to spread by the music and smiles of excited children. It's that time of year where you see Christmas trees on passing cars, and have family nights just for decorating. However, as time has gone by people's traditions are beginning to fade, spending time with family has become less of an importance, and gifts are replacing true Christmas spirit. Therefore if we aren't careful we could end up forgetting the true Christmas and replacing it with another consumer holiday.
Maybe it comes with growing up. Maybe we are less excited for Christmas because it means we "have" to spend money on gifts. And maybe that's just what Christmas means now. Gifts for her gifts for him. Gifts, gifts, oh and more gifts. In today's society it appears that gift giving has become a chore, and for a good reason. We should be having fun coming up with the perfect gift for someone to see them smile when they tear off that wrapping paper, but that also requires to the recipient to be appreciative even if its not exactly what they wanted. It should be something that's stress free and should make everyone happy because it really is the thought that counts. But in today's society no one can be satisfied and it stems from the over commercialization for this holiday.
Stores have commercialized their products for Christmas before Thanksgiving even started. From buying "her" a diamond because diamonds are girls bests friends to buying the kids that brand new dinosaur so real it responds to whatever name you give it. It's not about Christmas, it's about spending money and making sure you get everything someone wanted; because from all of the advertisements and commercials it seems like that is what Christmas is all about. This constant false portrayal of this holiday has led to the loss of it's true meaning.
This holiday went from having a very deep religious importance, to being a festivity with little substance. Whether you believe in the religious background to Christmas or not, this holiday has been dissociated from some very admirable values. It seems like people in general like to think about what they will get from Christmas, instead of what they can do for others. Which turns a day that should be filled with generosity and appreciation for friends, family, and whatever gifts you receive to a selfish rush to collect as much as one can. It's not that children shouldn't be excited to know that they will receive gifts, or that you shouldn't buy gifts for your loved ones. It's that whatever is or isn't wrapped under the tree doesn't exceed the fact that someone thought of you, and that you are fortunate enough to be with the people you love.
So, whether your Christmas is spending time with family and friends laughing about embarrassing times, watching movies like Rudolph and Christmas Vacation, making homemade sugars cookies that never really come out quite right, or going out with those you hold dear to look at Christmas lights so bright you think the suns still out. This Christmas I'm just asking to keep your traditions and to be grateful. This holiday isn't about worrying if you got the perfect gift or receiving as many presents as possible. It's about spreading a feeling of warmth and happiness to all around you. We only get to have this holiday one day out of 365, so don't forget about Christmas this year.
