Why The Commercialisation of Christmas is a Good Thing.
25 December, 2017 // in The Coffeehouse Cleric // by Alex Rowe.
Many in our society take it upon themselves at this time of year to lament the commercialisation of Christmas. This is not simply the reserved prerogative of Christians, or other ‘religious types’; people unschooled in religion make the same complaint. And perhaps rightly so. The two months of the year that the shops devote to Christmas certainly seems excessive. No sooner does Halloween pass (another cultural-religious festival the meaning of which has evolved over the decades and centuries) and then appears the shiny decor and the festive music. That’s right, the Christmas crooners. Personally, I pity the shop-workers. Michael Bublé may be pleasant to listen to on the odd occasion, but not round the clock. Surely that is enough to drive mad even the most teary-eyed sentimentalist.
What is forgotten amidst the complaint, however, is what all this commercialised commotion is for. Why does it happen? Now that I’ve asked the question, you will have undoubtedly supplied the answer. Is it not obvious? People are buying presents! We all know this. Once a year, this widespread phenomenon takes place where people purchase gifts for one other. But it’s often unreflected upon. That’s just what we do. Gladly or begrudged, organised or last-minute, that’s what we do. Whether the shops are coaxing and deceiving us or simply meeting a need is a question for another blog, on another day.
“…it’s not what is under the tree that matters; it’s who is around it.”
I want to focus on gift-giving, and how this practice is actually not so far removed from the alleged ‘true meaning’ of Christmas upheld by Christian complainants. It starts with this basic affirmation: gift-giving is a good thing. When I read Ed West’s article in the Spectator, however, in which he celebrates the commercialisation of Christmas because it “makes kids happy,” I thought his point far too simple and reductive. For all else he says that is good, I couldn’t help but stumble there. Christmas is not just for kids, and gift-giving about more than making them happy.
Gift-giving is a good thing, and we do it all the time. Many of us regularly give away money or material goods to family, friends, or charity. In fact, gifts need not be material and they often aren’t. When we give of our time, energy, attention, or affection, these too are all gifts. Sociologists do not exaggerate when they tell us that reciprocity, giving and receiving, is the life-blood of any functioning society; the reason being that gifts are symbolic. They express feelings and intentions. They fuel relationships, establishing and maintaining them.
What we do at Christmas is a microcosm of what we do all the time, a particular instance of a wider practice. When you give a gift this Christmas, you are not coldly handing over some inert object. The thing you are giving is charged with all kinds of emotion, all kinds of significance. It shows care, thought, friendship, even love. Therefore, for all we might complain about the commercialisation of Christmas, we must think positively about giving gifts. And if we appreciate the power of gift-gifting, hopefully buying presents this season will not feel too arbitrary. After all, it’s not what is under the tree that matters; it’s who is around it.
I said that this festive practice is a microcosm. But why is that? Why do we especially give gifts at Christmas? Regardless of the historical origins of gift-giving at this festival, I do think the practice can be aptly paralleled with the basic Christian theme of celebrating the birth of Christ. Christmas is the remembering of Jesus’ coming into the world, the heralding of God’s gift of the Son to humanity. Therefore, when we call to mind the famous words, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3.16) we ought to think not only of the cross, but also of the incarnation. The journey to Calvary starts in a stable. It starts at Christmas.
Hidden in the commercialised commotion of Christmas is the good practice of gift-giving; a practice intended to express love and friendship. Likewise, contained within the story of the nativity, a story of mysteries and mavericks, is the good news of a self-giving God; a God who offers love and desires friendship.
Thank you for reading. The Coffeehouse Cleric is a Medium publication dedicated to asking the big questions of life. It features writing on three main areas: minimalism, spirituality, and learning. If you enjoyed this piece, please do share it with friends and family on social media.
