By Eftychia Antonopoulou,
With a quick glance, our world looks alive. People everywhere. Everything is lit up. However, if you take a better look around you can easily understand that a lot is missing. We are just one day before Christmas, the brightest and happiest day of the year, but yet it seems that the Christmas spirit has not touched that many of us. The lights and sparkles of December are, thus, deceiving. The filled up streets and shopping malls deceive as well. Doesn’t it feel like Christmas?
Why is Santa Claus and presents the first thing that comes to mind when we think of this big holiday? Is it just about stocking fillings and ornaments hanging from the tree or is it much more than this superficial image? The truth lies in the origins of Christmas. Celebrated by different cultures all over the world and traced back to ancient Rome and Christian traditions, Christmas had always been about love, family, solidarity, caring and sharing… Since the rise of industrialization though, commercialization of this holiday has become a real phenomenon that, apart from its economic benefits, “has stolen the thunder” of what Christmas is really about.
In fact, due to multiple circumstances, Christmas has become the most commercial holiday· Globalisation, social media and, as a result, the consumer culture that has been developed have lead to this immense commercialization. During the 1840s, marketers in New York created a christmas symbol, Santa Claus. A symbol that was further finalized in the 1930s, when mass advertising was at its prime. And year by year, Christmas became a great opportunity for businesses to increase their sales, while boosting local and global economies and for individuals to be happy through materials instead of celebrating the original essence of Christmas.
The ramifications of this ongoing phenomenon that has now become a social problem are a lot. The commercialization of Christmas, firstly, accentuates consumerism. As a result, there is a huge burden for our planet due to excessive waste and overproduction. Additionally, the global spread of specific celebrations has replaced unique Christmas traditions and regional holiday practices leading to cultural homogenization. Finally, especially nowadays, because of the dominance of social media, it is easy for one to compare oneself with others and thus experience feelings of inferiority and, moreover, mental issues.
And I can’t help but wonder: What if we cared more about human connection than materialistic satisfaction? What if instead of reinforcing overproduction we payed attention to important values such as solidarity and philanthropy?
What if the city lights were less flashy? For the blinding lights don’t just shine on the city streets and neighborhoods. They create shadows. Shadows that create darkness, blur reality and deceive, making people believe that Christmas is nothing more than it —full-of— hypocrisy shine.
References
- Christmas. Britannica. Available here
- A Brief History Of Christmas And Its Commercialization. Yorktown Sentry. Available here
