What Christmas Really Means
Ellie Blake
Staff Writer
Once Thanksgiving is over and everyone has finished their Black Friday shopping, the countdown to Christmas begins. For some, the excitement begins even before they sit down to have turkey and stuffing.
The United States is set to spend $6 million on Christmas decorations including tinsel, lights and ornaments this year. Yes, Christmas should be a time of celebration and some decorations should be put up to show appreciation for the holiday. But, some people tend to go a little over the top when going out to buy their lights and wooden Santas for their front lawns.
Along with the insane spending, decorating can turn into a competition between houses. Christmas is a time of giving and appreciating the people around us, not fighting over who has the most elaborate display of lights.
Plus, who needs the constant stress of wondering if the lights that were bought last year will even work. Most of the time, the majority of the lights that were just bought do not work when they get plugged in. Who wants to worry about that, plus have to buy new ones once the burn out. Definitely not me.
When walking through the mall in November, I don’t expect to hear ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ blasting through the speakers of JcPenny. There are some people that start listening to Christmas music before November even hits. It’s just a bit too early to get into the Christmas spirit. Personally, the start of December is the perfect time to break out the Christmas cds and put on Santa hats.
People have made Christmas such a materialistic and elaborate event. Instead of the holidays being about remembering loved ones, many people have made it about how much they spend on presents and what they receive on that day. Yes, it’s fun to give and receive presents. But, that shouldn’t be what everyone looks forward to. I look forward to spending the day with my family and being around each other.
Hopefully this year, people really think about what Christmas really means. To me, I look forward to spending the day thinking and giving thanks for what I have. Having Christmas meals and opening presents together is the thing I look forward to the most. That’s what Christmas should really be about.
