In this Holiday season, it is important to remember what we are celebrating and why. Often during the Christmas season, people become swept up in creating Christmas lists of various things they have been waiting to purchase all year, or new items related to current trends. Many children become infatuated with the gifts they receive on Christmas morning, playing with their new toys every day or wearing their new clothes immediately. Although it is comforting to believe that as people grow up, they change in those aspects, it is often not the case. For people of any age, Christmas is often a time to purchase new items that are likely to be forgotten or hold less importance in less than a year. Many people consider Christmas their favorite holiday, but they may be forgetting the reasons for the celebration. Oftentimes, people associate Christmas with buying and receiving gifts, baking cookies, Santa Claus and elves, and decorative lights. Although these are not bad aspects of Christmas and help create an enjoyable, bright environment, the most essential part of Christmas often gets overlooked.

When asked the first word that comes to mind when they hear the word “Christmas,” two Good Counsel students said Santa and tree. Although these are not bad things to think about, and they represent fun parts of the Christmas season, they also show that Christmas’s meaning can get lost amid other material things. Over the years, Christmas has become more commercialized and a substantial time for businesses to make a profit, since most people are focused on purchasing or receiving gifts from a long list they have created. A study done by Lifeway Research calculated that 9 in 10 Americans do something to celebrate Christmas, while 48% do not attend Church at Christmastime. The study shows that some people may not be celebrating Christmas as Christ’s birth, but rather as an excuse to receive gifts. It is inevitable that in the 21st century, people will associate gifts with Christmas because the tradition of receiving gifts under the tree has been passed down to several generations, and people pass those traditions on to their children. Receiving and giving gifts is not a bad thing, but it is important not to see it as the reason for Christmas.

Christmas is a Holiday meant to celebrate the first coming of Jesus Christ into the world, his birth. It is a time to reflect on faith and celebrate all God has given humanity, most notably His Son. In celebrating Jesus’s birth, Christmas is also a time to connect with your family and friends. Holidays also provide a time to take a break from life’s chaos. When asked if Christmas has become too commercialized, Mr. Haight, chemistry teacher at Good Counsel, responded, “Yes, Christmas used to be families gathered around the family room, listening to music and talking to each other. Today, it is all about the next gift, the next big thing you are getting, and not about what you are giving.” This Holiday season, it will be beneficial to remind each other what Christmas is about and consider what we can do for others instead of focusing on our wants. Mr. Haight’s challenge for families this Christmas is to see how long they can sit and listen to the radio, enjoying each other’s company, without the immediate exchange of presents.