Has Christmas Lost Its Meaning?

Christmas is about celebrating many things in our lives, including time with family near and far, giving gifts to others, giving back to the community and those less fortunate, and eating all of the good food that comes with Christmas dinner.

And while all of these things are nice, one might wonder if we have forgotten why we celebrate Christmas and if we’ve lost track of the real reason for the season. We thought we’d ask Bluefield College students this question, and based on their responses one might agree that the spirit and meaning of Christmas have been lost. With decorations going up earlier and earlier each year, students said, it feels like Christ is no longer the center of everything we are celebrating.

“I think that for the most part the meaning of Christmas has been lost,” said BC senior Abby Beavers. “When you look around before Halloween even the stores already have Christmas items out. I think that the stores have used Christmas to make money off of people.”

Retail stores have found every way they can to get people spending more on Christmas each year through advertisements, promotions, and convincing shoppers they need particular items to be happy. Students also noted that over time as people pass away, families realize that one person was holding the Christmas celebration all together.

“My family and I use this time to get together and spend time together while we can,” said Beavers. “My Christmas used to be spent at my grandmother’s house. Once she passed away the family stopped getting together for a few years. I think we all realized that family was important, and we all missed getting together. It made us realize the value of family and how one should cherish time together.”

With all the distractions and less time spent with family, maybe it is time for society to take a step back and reevaluate what we are really celebrating this Christmas season. Is it the gifts we give, or is it the gift of our Savior being born?