Are Holidays Too Commercialized?

We’ve all seen it. The big sales at stores just around the holidays, the TV ads that harness holiday cheer in exchange for a subscription, and shops pushing the festive decorations as soon as Halloween ends. Walking into these stores in early November feels less like a festive tradition and more like a marketing ambush, with aisles exploding in blinding tinsel, lights, and gift baskets. Companies rush to capitalize on seasonal emotions, turning what should be a meaningful and nostalgic time into a nonstop reminder to buy.

The greatest stressor of this extreme commercialization is, in my opinion, gift-giving. While handing over the perfect gift can feel wonderful and deeply sentimental, the pressure to find that gift is often impossible. Advertisements constantly bombard us, telling us that the “perfect gift” requires spending more money, buying the newest product, or choosing something flashy and expensive. These messages tend to create unrealistic expectations, leading people to feel as though their love or appreciation can be measured with a price tag. Even handmade or personalized gifts can seem “not good enough” in comparison to the expensive items promoted in commercials and social media.

Commercialization also tends to distract from the true meaning of the holidays: Thanksgiving, meant to be about gratitude (literally in its name), has turned into a mad-dash for Black Friday sales. Valentine’s Day, which should honor love and friendship, has become a competition over who can buy the biggest bouquet or most expensive jewelry. In my opinion, when money becomes the main focus, the true purpose of these holidays fade into the background. 

This doesn’t mean that gifts and decorations should disappear from holidays altogether. However, I think the emphasis should shift back to meaningful experiences: spending time with loved ones and appreciating what we have. While it sounds cliche, simple traditions and homemade gifts can often be more memorable than anything bought in a store. I can’t recall the specific gifts I received two years ago, but I do remember the laughter and warmth of going sledding with my cousins or having a cotton snowball fight with my grandparents. When we take a step back from the commercials and sales, we give ourselves the chance to remember what made holidays special in the first place.