Thinking about consumerism and how we forget the real meaning of Christmas and New Year’s Day

Commemorative dates, in general, lead people to consume more. For example, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Easter Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Why do we consume so much on religious dates that we should celebrate people and not superfluous things?

I believe that over time and with the increasing power of “having” over “being” to be considered important by society, we spoiled holidays aimed at celebrating affection and virtues. Especially when we talk about Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. We transform these commemorative dates into acquisition dates, where we start to care more about our appearance, what we wear, how guests notice the furniture in our homes, and how impressive the gifts we will give and receive will be. We started to care less about the message that the commemorative dates propose.

If we analyze it well, annually, we are taken by unbridled consumerism to demonstrate our affection for material gifts that are often unnecessary. We are frequently captured by the idea of happiness exposed in the advertisements we watch on TV or in internet videos. In Brazil, we frequently get into debt with purchases for Christmas and New Year’s parties. In addition, all these poorly thought out and unnecessary purchases further contribute to the pollution of the planet.

To improve these issues, changes are needed in the way we think and see things, it is necessary to practice conscious consumption and be as sustainable as possible. Before buying anything during these festive moments, we should ask ourselves questions like, “Do I really need this?”, “Will this really be useful?”.

Researching the theme of consumerism at the end of the year, I found interesting tips that can help us to have a more conscious and sustainable consumption. The Akatu website lists several ways to consume consciously and more sustainably at Christmas and New Year’s parties. Tips are given on clothing, decorations, gifts, and for preparing supper. All to avoid waste and unnecessary expenses! This site also shows six important questions to practice conscious consumption. The ORACO website also lists some important issues that we can consider for the consumption of Christmas parties.