Christmas. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, filled with friends, family, and happiness. And piles upon piles of presents. Back in the day, Christmas was about giving and enjoying the simple pleasures of life with those you love. Now, Christmas is rapidly growing into a giant, loud, money-eating, materialistic giant.

With the continual growth of the media and advertising, the focus of Christmas has shifted. Pressure is being put on purchasing presents. The average American will spend something around $830 on Christmas presents this holiday season.

A great example is Black Friday. Only seven years ago, most shops would open at 5 in the morning on the Friday after Thanksgiving, letting people enjoy Thanksgiving to the maximum. Now however, stores are opening as early as 4 in the evening on Thanksgiving day, causing people to get sucked into the whirlpool of Christmas spending before their food has even made it down their throat.

We used to show our love for the people we care about by spending quality time with them and enjoying their company. Now, love and affection is proved by the amount of money or the number of things you buy for them. By shifting Christmas to a materialistic-centered holiday, we are losing the true meaning of the time of the year.