A few days ago to my house arrived the new magazine of games and toys of the Corte Ingles, my brother already has a huge list of all the things he wants.
Yes Christmas advertisement have begun and there is till left more than one month for Christmas. The big brands have begun with their advertisemenst making discounts, attracting people to buy. When did we change the Christmas spirit? Where is it?
It is true that everybody loves getting presents but we don’t have to forget that Christmas it’s a time for being with the family a time where we have to behave perfectly.
Why are we losing the Christmas spirit? Is Christmas spirit going to disappear and it is just going to be totally commercial? Have you got Christmas spirit?
I think exactly the same way as Santi, nowadays, Christmas is just an excuse for buying whatever you want but not need. This is making even more and more that the families don’t celebrate this fantastic days where all the family join together and everybody is happy and joyful. What’s more, all the companies are putting up these adverts where they play with the mind of a child who, just by seeing it, they can be everyday thinking and thinking about all the things they want. Which is both good and bad, because later on when they see that they don’t have it all they may get angry or sad about it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think the worst part isn’t playing with the children’s mind, the worst part is when the children start asking for things and the parents that can’t afford anything because of the crisis or just because their very low income. Can you imagine seeing your little boy’s/girl’s reaction when you have to tell him that this year Santa Clause can’t give him/her anything?
In conclusion I should say that the examples I have shown above aren’t very unusual nowadays, and by this type of advertising, this companies are making this poor people’s situation even worse.
Miguel Van de Walle
I totally agree with Santi here. Christmas has stopped being a Christian celebration and has become another commercial party. Even if you Christian presents are exchanged for social convention and religion has little or anything to do about it. I think the meaning of Christmas is completely lost in modern society, and survives in reduced groups. What I found alarming about this was not the fact of what Christmas has become but the way the catalogue is advertised. It plays with the idea of kids believing in the 3 wise Kings so that they do long and expensive toy lists and don’t even know their parents are going to pay for it. Many families are struggling to pay their bills and this advert, giving their kids false expectations makes the parent’s situation even worse, feeling forced to make an economical effort to buy to their kids what they can.
ReplyDeleteThis is both very true, and very sad. The religious aspect of Christmas was lost long ago, but now the concept of it being a family get-together is rapidly fading too. What once was an iconic family occasion has become a cherished memory. The loss of the religious aspect is being lost too, which seems shocking, as this is the reason for the celebration. But the consumer society that we live in has destroyed that too, which just reflects people's values nowadays.
ReplyDeleteAs Miguel and Jordi said before me, the unforseen economic meltdown has caused many problems, as Christmas is marketed so much that the children are bombarded with images of loads of toys, all of which they end up wanting, and their parents may not be able to afford the extra expenses, which makes them feel very guilty and make extra sacrifices just to be able to give their child all that they want.
In conclusion, I believe that Christmas has effectively gone from celebration to commercial and that this has caused many problems for people with limited economic capabilities, as well as destroying the essence of the festival.
This has become, from my point of view, a big social problem by which we can see undoubtedly a materialistic society, especially children who are used to receiving constantly presents.
ReplyDeleteChildren have completely lost their Christmas spirit, a spirit by which they get the chance of meeting with people of their families who they normally do not see, enjoy their Christmas holiday with the people they most love, help their parents with all the Christmas preparations and of course, being excited and anxious waiting for Santa Claus to arrive.
Now our day’s children are so influenced by what they see advertised and in television that they just think on writing a massive list of what they would like to receive from Santa, but what is worse is that their parents buy everything they want, with the objective of making their children happy. But they do not realize that their children really do not need so many gifts, this is not the way they should be educated. What really would make them content is waiting throughout the year for that gift they really wish to have, and in Christmas day, find that gift under the tree.
I hope this situation changes as soon as possible, and particularly now which we are facing an economic crisis.
Marina Segura
I have to say I disagree with most of the comments up above as for the disappearance of the Christmas family and friends get-togethers. With technology advancing at such a fast rate, travelling is becoming altogether easier, faster, wider and most important cheaper, which just makes moving around the globe available to an increasing number of people. Therefore I disagree with what people have said about Christmas essence being scrubbed away and replaced by a consumerism festival, because, if something, Christmas get-togethers and therefore, the essence of Christmas is becoming a more popular and accessible choice for families to do during Christmas holidays. However, I suppose my argument can only be applied to adults because it is true that commercials are influencing in children’s vision of Christmas into a present asking and receiving festivity.
ReplyDeleteSo, as a conclusion I would say that even though it is becoming a very profitable occasion in the industrial aspect and consequently evolving into a more materialist feast, I believe the future of Christmas is up to parents, because it is their children who will constitute the next generation and it is the values they learn when young which they will most likely poses when older, so if parents go along with this present buying growing aspect of Christmas, the family gathering and religious “spirit” of Christmas will eventually fade away, but it is up to them whether they do go along with this, or they don’t.
Lucas Drobnitzky
Personally I think that the Christmas spirit is indeed being lost. This is probably because of the society in which we live, in which consumerism prevails, and in my opinion this spirit will not be recovered, as our society keeps on moving towards total consumerism and materialism.
ReplyDeleteIn this, I totally agree with the people who commented previously, but I would like to outstand what Lucas has mentioned, as I find it a very interesting and important point. If we really don’t want this Christmas and family get-together time spirit to fade away, we all have to contribute to this, by rejecting to some of our presents and spend more time with our family, as I believe that it is all of us who have lost this Christmas spirit, not only big multinationals. Moreover, these values which involve spending time with our families and being aware of the good luck we have for being in the situation we are in have to be educated too, from parent to sons.
In conclusion, Christmas spirit is lost if people forget it, but it isn't difficult to recover if people are aware of what Christmas involves and act accordingly.
J.Costa