To me, there is no better feeling than hanging around the living room in front of the fireplace with my family, joking and telling stories. The holidays are about spending time with your family and celebrating traditions. For some, it may be lighting the menorah or decorating the tree, however the central theme of holidays used to be spending time with your loved ones. However, it’s questionable if family is still the main priority when it comes to the holidays.
It seems today that children are looking forward to the amount of gifts, rather than cherishing time with family. When I think of materialism on holidays, my mind automatically turns to Christmas. While Thanksgiving may bring in a large revenue for turkeys, I don’t blame anyone for being greedy with wanting mashed potatoes and apple pie. While many other holidays such as Easter, Valentine’s Day and even birthdays fall into this category, Christmas is truly the worst in terms of materialism.
Christmas sales and commercials start as early as October, with the intention of gaining as much profit as possible. Television commercials seem to brain-wash people, causing them to think they need that new 80 inch plasma screen or a new tool set. These commercials especially target children; with all of the new video games, toys and stuffed animals, kids’ Christmas lists are bound to be longer than ever. Parents need to instill the true holiday spirit in their kids, encouraging them to stick with the holiday traditions and ditch the holiday greed.
We often don’t think about what the holidays are like for others who are less fortunate. If the holidays are truly about giving, then we need to start giving our money to a worthy cause. There is an endless amount of organizations that you can donate to that give gifts and meals to the homeless, underprivileged families and orphans. If you want to make this holiday one to remember, help someone. Give a gift to the elderly, to the homeless, or go to the soup kitchen and provide the hungry with a meal. We often take advantage of what we are given, forgetting about those who are given nothing. It’s time to put others first for a change and make someone’s holiday one to remember.
It’s important to not only give to those in need, but also to give to the ones that are closest to you. Instead of expecting everything on your 25-item wish list, make it a priority to expect less and give more. We may not think about the process that our parents go through every holiday; trying to make sure we get everything we want, stressing that we will be disappointed. Give your parents a meaningful gift this year, let them know you appreciate everything they do. A meaningful gift doesn’t have to be a pricey gift; homemade gifts are priceless. So make a change for the better and make your next holiday full of giving, not receiving.
We need to understand that the focal point of Christmas isn’t toys or gift cards. It’s about being able to spend time with your family, decorating the tree together and bonding with loved ones. It’s about creating authentic memories, not running daddy’s credit card over the limit. It’s time to reevaluate your priorities and put family first and gifts last.
