Within the first week of November you can walk into any store and see holiday knickknacks spread out before your eyes. During this season all you can see is something related to either Thanksgiving or Christmas, etc. Most commercials on television even tell you how you should spend your holidays, like you are required to buy things for you or someone else’s happiness. Every year commercialized advertisements, events, and even people are getting worse by focusing on the materialism of each holiday rather than looking at the true value of them.

Let’s use the example of possibly one of the most commercialized holidays known to man, Christmas. I mean this holiday has commercials, advertisements, and stores stocked before it’s even the month of December. In fact it’s even marketed that way; businesses don’t tend to sell the true meaning of Christmas rather they sell products, not feelings. Unfortunately for us we buy in to the everlasting cycle of greed, keeping our holidays just as commercial as before. Not many people would actually be willing to have a Christmas that focuses only on the company of others without any giving (unless it’s being given to a charity) and receiving. Though I guess that’s partly societies fault for thinking that buying gifts is the only way to show love or appreciation, and again back to businesses who sell the wants rather than the needs. Even seeing a commercial from a retail store saying the key to having a perfect holiday is if you wear or buy the products they’re promoting, it’s ridiculous. Nobody should tell you how to have a “perfect” holiday.

When it comes to Thanksgiving the commercial feeling isn’t as strong as some of the other holidays, however a lot of people, mostly teens find Thanksgiving break just a time to relax with no school instead of paying respects and saying thanks. Also businesses don’t advertise much for Thanksgiving like they do with other holidays, except for retail food stores which have major sales for that special Thanksgiving dinner. Honestly the commercialization of each holiday varies depending on the importance or the general admiration of the holiday itself. Although holidays should ultimately be up to you and your families’ traditions and customs, rather than the standard idea of what your holidays should be like. This never ending flow of commercialized joy will continue as long as we buy into it.