It’s true that the commercialisation of Christmas has negative effects on the holiday season, but it is also directly responsible for many beloved holiday themes and traditions.
The Western world’s modern idea of Christmas is largely influenced by consumerism and commercialisation. The holiday’s origins lie in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but Christmastime’s modern emphasis on shopping and spending seems to suggest that the public’s current interpretation has taken a different route.
Of course, the commercialisation of a holiday as religiously and culturally significant as Christmas draws plenty of criticism, and for good reason. The societal transformation of Christmas into a capitalist spending spree has major downsides, such as the stress it places on people who feel the need to buy the “perfect” holiday gift for their loved ones. What is supposedly meant to be a joyous opportunity to give thoughtful gifts often becomes a stressful – and financially taxing – race to find the trendiest toys on store shelves. The commercialisation of Christmas can also create expectations about requiring the “perfect” Christmas with loved ones when it’s not quite that simple for many people.
Indeed, there are many components of the consumerist aspect of modern-day Christmas that make the holiday season stressful for many, and it’s important to attribute those flaws to the effects of a capitalist society. However, it’s important to recognize that society’s consumerist approach to Christmas also has many positive effects, displayed through the wonderful traditions and memories it indirectly helps create.
While it’s easy to label the commercialisation of Christmas as entirely negative, it’s worth remembering which widespread holiday traditions are products of capitalism. Many commonly enjoyed Christmas brands and themes are products of the holiday’s commercialisation. Santa Claus’ iconic modern jolly design, including his white beard and red coat, was commissioned by Coca-Cola as part of an advertising campaign in 1931, for example.
Furthermore, many of the holiday’s most popular films are products of large-budget film studios hoping to capitalise on the Christmas season. It’s not likely that studios would have created holiday movies like Elf or Home Alone – both of which are considered Christmas classics – if they weren’t trying to capitalise on the Christmas season. The higher-ups at these production companies weren’t making these films out of the goodness of their hearts; they were trying to bring in as many moviegoers as possible over Christmastime by banking on the public’s holiday spirit. Yet, whatever their intentions were, they still helped create magical films that continue to be enjoyed by millions of people every December.
While capitalism certainly has some negative effects on gift-giving, it shouldn’t be ignored that corporations’ consumerist approach to Christmas often helps make beloved gifts more accessible through holiday deals and releases. Ask yourself whether you’ve ever found a thoughtful Christmas gift for a loved one through holiday ads, sales or promotions. Again, this element of consumerism is certainly not perfect, but it’s difficult to deny that it also bears some positive effects when searching for a thoughtful gift.
It’s worth noting that it is possible for gift-giving to take place without a capitalist focus through handmade or otherwise inexpensive gifts, but realistically speaking, this would be difficult to normalise across Western society given the preexisting consumerist approach to the holiday season. In our current situation, it’s still worth acknowledging the positive effects that consumerism has on the gift-giving process, even if there are negative effects that come with it.
I would argue that some of these traditions – which, again, go hand-in-hand with the holiday’s commercialisation – contribute to the holiday’s focus on goodwill and cheer. These elements are indeed reflective of our capitalist society, but at the same time, there shouldn’t be shame in acknowledging consumerism’s positive influence on the holiday season. Simply put, many beloved Christmas themes and traditions likely wouldn’t exist without society’s capitalist approach to the holiday season.
The commercialisation of Christmas isn’t perfect, and it’s entirely valid to feel stress because of holiday consumerism. But when reflecting on capitalism’s effects on the Christmas season, it’s important to remember the moments of joy it indirectly helps create.