Christmas Has Lost It's Meaning

Has the real meaning of Christmas been lost? I believe it has, and recently more and more people are feeling the same way. Christmas has become a contest of who can have the biggest tree or the most lights on their house, an excuse to buy an obnoxiously expensive gadget for yourself and just call it a "Christmas present", a reason for Hollywood to make another holiday movie and profit millions of dollars, a way for companies to market their products to consumers, using Christmas as a gimmick. The list could go on, but the point is, none of those things are even closely related to celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Which is after all the real meaning of Christmas, and what about Santa Claus, his true origins have also been forgotten.

"The neighbors already have their lights up, but I think we'll be able to out do them this year with all the new lights I bought at Wal-Mart." You could probably hear a husband saying this to his wife anywhere in the U.S. around Christmas time. Some neighborhoods even have real competitions, where awards are given out for the best Christmas light decorations. It seems a big hit lately are these bigger than life size snowmen, Santas, or other figures that inflate and are put out on the front lawn. Having a huge Christmas tree decorated in an over the top fashion has also become important. Although I doubt Jesus cares who's decorations are better.

A $2,000 digital camera, a $700 watch, a cashmere sweater that's just as expensive, or even in an extreme case... a brand new car. You could buy one of these for yourself without feeling guilty; just chalk it up to a Christmas gift to you from you. Everyone does it. Christmas has also become an excuse to buy extravagant gifts for loved ones as well. Its all about making sure everyone is getting exactly what they have wanted on their Christmas list. Even though Jesus loves everyone the same, whether rich or poor. A recent Gallup poll shows that 42 percent of Americans say they would enjoy Christmas more without the exchange of gifts. 42% is less than half, but I still find it surprising since it seems a huge part of Christmas has become the gifts.

I wonder how many holiday movies will come out this year, and how much money they'll rake in. Every year around November/December the Christmas movies start coming out. Not only movies though, television shows and specials, and holiday music albums start popping up. This is also the time when stores will start advertising Christmas items, specials and sales. Just imagining how much money companies must make off