As children we often would stay
up all night wondering what we were getting for Christmas this year, but rarely
did we ever think about what Christmas was actually celebrated for. It seems
like the history of Christmas is shrouded in history and not many people really
know why we do any of the things we do. I did not learn till years later that
Christmas was actually rooted in ancient Pagan holidays. Powered by religious
reforms in England, the once Pagan holiday, was converted into a Christian
Holiday. It was not until there was a surge in popularity in America that
Christmas became a truly commercial holiday. In the past many kept traditions
such as commemorating the birth of Jesus or going to church on Christmas. Now
most American’s cannot even tell you why we celebrate Christmas except that we
get gifts from some man in a suit. What was the cause for such a drastic change
in America’s demeanor?
The most obvious change is
families themselves. The United States is much more accepting of different
styles of living then they once were. People who are gay, atheist or of other
ethnic groups are not as socially un-accepted as they once were or as pressured
to take on more socially conventional practices such as following the Christian
traditions for Christmas. Being more accepting of different cultures or
practices can cause even the socially conventional to go about their own
Christmas rituals a bit differently. The commercial aspect of Christmas is also
starting to change the way we celebrate Christmas. Instead of going out and
buying just a few gifts for the family, we now go out to events like Black
Friday to race through mobs of people, while fighting for the newest
electronics. So as for the old sang “Jesus is the reason for the season!” is
beginning to lose its meaning in our country
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Hello Ashley, how are you doing? I agree with you that many people don't the the true meaning as to why we celebrate Christmas. I think that many people overlook Christmas nowadays. People really aren't in any hurry to find out the true meaning of Christmas either. Everyone is so worried on buying and receiving presents. Its like Christmas is now a game. I think that people should go to church on Christmas because it shows a great deal of respect to Christ. People get so caught up in the festivities that they dont even worry about the true meaning behind Christmas. As with a lot of things these days, thinkgs are getting out of control. If you asked a young kid why we had Christmas he probable wouldn't know. I'm not saying that I don't like Black Friday and buying people gifts and everything, but it gets a little hectic.
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ReplyDeleteI completely agree with this post. It seems like people have completely forgotten about why Christmas is so special. Christmas should not be a time of year that is so stressful and hectic like it seems to be now. It should be time where families come together and celebrate. Instead, like you stated, people go out on Black Friday and run over other people to get the best deals they can find.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you included how Christmas started as a Pagan holiday and was converted into a Christian holiday. The whole first paragraph gives readers a little background information that they may have not previously known. It really made me wonder about why Christmas became so commercialized, just like you did. Finally, your last comment is completely true. American society is starting to think a lot less about Jesus and a lot more about presents during the holidays.
David Sacre (151 words)