At the beginning of the holiday season, a mother asks her kids for Christmas wish lists, and is surprised to see what they are asking for. The lists are made up of video games, clothing items and even the newest trending water bottle, but these things are too expensive for this mother to afford. Now she is put in an awkward position: disappoint her children by not getting them what they ask for, or spend money that she doesn’t have on presents.
But when did the holidays become so centered around gifts?
According to the Woodstock History Center, the act of gift giving for the holidays developed during the mid to late 19th century, and has changed how we celebrate. Before this, there was more of a fixation on caroling, meals and spending time with family.
By no means have these traditions been completely forgotten, they have simply been overshadowed by the stress and prominence of getting gifts to show love and appreciation for others.
For a kid, their winter season is fueled by the belief that if they are good, they’ll be rewarded with items, and Christmas as a whole is very kid-oriented. Presents, decorating and the stories of Santa-like figures are all geared toward kids.
When coupled with the materialistic trends circling the internet, this creates the idea that it is all the holidays are about and sets a bad image for young, impressionable kids. The significance of family at this time of the year should be taught at younger ages, so kids don’t have to relearn the meaning as they grow up.
Part of the cause for this is the stress that comes from needing to buy and keep track of so many gifts.
A Christmas gift can represent a lot, from how much a person cares to how much they pay attention to inside jokes. It can be hard to know what to buy in order to accurately represent a person’s feelings for someone. On top of this, impulse buys throughout the year are increasing with the use of social media.
According to DHL, seven in ten shoppers buy items through social media, and 31% of shoppers make more impulse purchases because of social media. This can add to the stress of buying gifts when the holidays come around.
How are people supposed to buy gifts if everyone buys the random stuff that they want throughout the year instead?
This stress easily consumes the holiday, but when young kids see their parents stressing about what to buy for their friends and family members, it gives them a stronger idea that this is the only part of the holidays that matters, which is far from the truth.
Gifts have taken a forefront, and the holidays have lost their magic. For instance, on Black Friday this year, Target stores handed out a mystery tote bag for the first 100 people in line, but they were somewhat of a letdown. Most of the bags only had small items in the bags, such as Uno cards or other small snacks.
Despite this, people were still getting excited over the reemergence in popularity of Black Friday lines, and the nostalgia of waiting for the stores to open.
“It’d be fun if we were in the 90’s and have to wake up super early and wait in line to fight someone for a TV,” said junior Leah Atkinson. “It’s not like that anymore. There are lines out of some stores, but not anything substantial.”
People are searching for the feeling of Christmas, not the gifts that have become so prominent, but they don’t know where to look. Seeing light shows, playing in the snow, going ice skating and baking are all ways to show appreciation for others around the holidays, but are often not seen this way.
Remember what the holiday season is about, and this year consider showing care for friends and family with something other than a box under the tree.
Dr. Seuss once wrote, “‘Maybe Christmas,’ [the Grinch] thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.’”