I think Christmas has lost its true meaning - For the last few years, I've seen Christmas sales starting earlier and earlier, come every year.
Many shops start advertising in October, three months before Christmas Day.
So many people say the spirit of Christmas ha been lost in the shopping hoopla that goes on, but we don't appear willing to do anything about it.
Every year we give our kids bigger and more expensive gifts that are usually broken or discarded before you've paid off the Christmas credit card payments.
What happened to the true meaning of Christmas?
For some people, the true meaning of Christmas is the warmth and love of our families, a celebration of the home.
For others, the real meaning of Christmas is love for other people – 'Peace on earth, good will toward men'.
And of course, many Christians think the meaning of Christmas is that it is the birthday of Jesus.
According to Wikipedia, Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated generally on December 25 as a religious and cultural holiday by billions of people around the world.
A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it closes the Advent season and initiates the twelve days of Christmastide.
Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians, and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season.
Looking at a great heap of interpretation about Christmas, I couldn't find one that gave details of giving bigger and more expensive gifts each year.
So, who commercialised Christmas?
I've googled this question and got no definitive answer.
While there may be some good for the economy in the short run, commercialised Christmas also has a cost.
Perhaps the greatest cost of commercialisation at Christmas is paid by the poor.
In our society, the poor experience Christmas as a cruel hoax.
Our pervasive cultural Christmas ideology is not Christology, celebrating Christ's coming as 'good news to the poor' – but what we might call 'Santology'.
The creed of Santa Claus theology is the well-known song - Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
According to this creed, Santa is omniscient; like God, Santa knows all about us.
There is also a day of judgment.
It comes once a year when 'good' children are rewarded with good things, while the 'bad' (poor) get coals and switches.
The truth is, of course, that gifts are not distributed based on who has been 'good or bad' or 'naughty or nice', but on what people can afford or get credit to buy.
But that's not what our culture teaches children.
What it teaches is bad for both poor and non-poor children.
Poor children are told that they don't receive gifts because they are bad, while the non-poor are taught that they receive gifts because they are good.
Both notions are equally reprehensible.
But the big question is - Are we willing to change the meaning of Christmas?
What do you think?
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