Is Christmas becoming more commercialized?

Question

Do you think stores put their decorations out too early for shoppers to get in the mood for Christmas?

Answer 1

Once upon a time the holiday season was a quiet time spent with family and friends - simpler, less commercial, more spiritual, nothing like today’s frenzied orgy of soulless consumption.

“There are worlds of money wasted, at this time of year, in getting things that nobody wants and nobody cares,” one observer noted recently.

Well, not so recently.

Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote those words in 1850. By then, the holiday was already well on its way to becoming the retail orgy it is today.

“Every generation for the last 250 years tends to think it was only in the last generation that it got commercialized,” said Stephen Nissenbaum, an emeritus professor of history at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

In his book “The Battle for Christmas,” Nissenbaum puts that myth to rest by tracing the history of the holiday from colonial New England to the turn of the 20th century.

Nissenbaum shows that powerful social interests have always advanced their agendas through Christmas, and describes how the holiday we celebrate today had its origins in the New York City of the 1820s. Christmas, it seems, has always been a holiday of excess.

For most of its history Christmas was a free-for-all, more New Year’s Eve or Mardi Gras than the domestic idyll described in Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem, “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” (better known today as “The Night Before Christmas”).

The holiday has its origins in the Roman festival of Saturnalia, a week-long winter solstice celebration that featured feasting, drinking, gambling and sex.

But with the arrival of the Industrial Revolution, factory owners didn’t want their employees wandering off for weeks of drunken merriment.

During the 1820s, after a series of particularly raucous holiday seasons in New York, the city’s elite began campaigning for a more restrained, domestic Christmas. Central to that campaign was the tradition of purchasing gifts, especially for children.

Perhaps that’s the biggest difference between Christmas present and Christmas past. A holiday that began in ancient times as a debauched escape from everyday chores has become exactly the opposite - a frenzied season full of expectations, obligations and stress.

Answer 2

Well of course Christmas is becoming more commercialized. I think that there are more important things to worry about as a Christian, however than how early stores put out decorations. We all know its been made into a money-making holiday for the commercial sector, but it doesn't make it wrong to buy gifts for the ones you love to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Just remember the reason you're out buying gifts, and if the stores want to put your gifts on sale, more power to them.

Answer 3

The local SquallMart had Christmas decorations out before Halloween this year. To make things worse, if you hadn't gotten your decorations before Dec 1, forGETit! They were pretty much sold out. So now, if I want lights and blinky reindeer, I have to buy them prior to Thanksgiving or not get them at all.

I saw the Valentine's day stuff going on the shelves there last week, ugh.

Answer 4

Cultural and historic impacts have formed Christian traditions, rituals and customs too. that's mentioned that December twenty 5th replaced into chosen to rejoice the delivery of Christ to steer people faraway from the Roam pageant Saturnalia that replaced into celebrated in December and replaced right into a time of feasting and events, that are nonetheless a ingredient of Christmas celebrations. The yule pageant of northern characterised by utilising dancing around extensive bonfires yelling for the iciness to end has been replaced by utilising burning of a yule log in Christmas. The Christmas tree originated in Germany, reached different lands alongside with Germans on an analogous time as Saint Nicholas of the present-day Turkey has additionally grow to be an substantial part of Christmas gala's with time. The party of Christmas is enjoyed by utilising almost everybody! The non-religious rejoice the joyous traditions. The Christians have faith that Christmas has something to do with Christ and rejoice religious rituals. The pagans rejoice nature and the tie-in with iciness Solstice. commercial organisations get excitement from the income from the sale of decorations, symbols, and presents. in the present day, maximum of our society is engrossed with television (and the internet). throughout the time of the holiday trips, classified ads for all forms of goods are on television. The media knows that oldsters would be staring at and do regardless of it takes to purchase what they're merchandising. it style of appears like some people get warped by utilising the classified ads. in accordance to the vp of yank credit beginning, people can spend around a million,000 a twelve months for the holiday trips. Spending too lots on Christmas placed some people in debt. it style of feels that that's extra substantial to speculate in presents than on needs. Commercialized Christmas' are inflicting our society to grow to be uncaring and under pressure.

Answer 5

I really don't think people should worry about Christmas being commercialized. It's the perfect time of year for business opportunities and for buying other's (or oneself) presents at lower prices depending on where you shop and how well you shop.

Answer 6

Your question is about 25 years too late. Christmas become all about the bottom line a long time ago.

Answer 7

Yes, I was shocked I saw Christmas Ad and decoration before my Thanksgiving week was over.Well it keeps our economy alive and well.Many billion of dollars go around and come around.Long live America.

Answer 8

YES! every year its a little more commercialized its seems to be all about the gifts and not the TRUE meaning of the birth of christ. It seems like people might even forget the real meaning. Even people who arent christian and dont believe in Jesus celebrate christamas

Answer 9

Yes. girl... In October I saw Christmas goods on the shelves my mouth just dropped. But that's the retail game. Money, Money Honey.

Answer 10

I think for Christmas it's way to commercialized. But for Xmas it's perfect.