Christmas spirit overshadowed by materialism

When I was little, Christmas was my favorite holiday.

I used to count down the days until the big day and count up all my presents under the tree. I used to be disappointed as the years went on and the number of gifts shrank, but now that I’m older, I can see I’m not the only one who succumbed to the materialistic mindset in our society.

Our society is obsessed with buying “the next best thing” and at the best price possible. We seem to think we have failed as a mother, father, brother, sister or friend if we don’t spend a substantial amount of money on gifts for loved ones.

The problem starts with Thanksgiving. I’d say specifically Black Friday, but since consumers wanted to get the best deals sooner, the shopping day has cut into the holiday.

This Thanksgiving, and many previous ones, I’ve worked on Black Friday at the Sioux Empire Mall in Sioux Falls. When I found out the mall would be opening on Thanksgiving, I was upset.

Sure enough, I was asked — more like pleaded — by my employer to work because they needed more people on staff to handle the crowd. I am fully aware I had the option to say no, but I could see they needed a lot of help.

As I said my goodbyes to my family early Thanksgiving evening, I headed off to the mall to meet the needs of Black Friday shoppers. Let me tell you, it wasn’t fun. There were rude customers, ones trying to bargain prices and ones who threw — yes, threw — clothes on the floor when they lost interest.

This was just a small insight into what is happening in our society. What’s next — skipping Thanksgiving altogether and making it a “Black Week” for shoppers to get all the best deals? Everyone was so eager to get the best deals and make sure they got the best gifts. It seems we’ve not only lost the meaning of Thanksgiving, but also the meaning of Christmas.

At the risk of sounding cheesy, Christmas is about being with family, and the gifts are simply a sign of appreciation, not wealth.

If you’re a Christian like myself, it’s also about the birth of Jesus. If you’re a typical college student, also like me, it’s a break from the stresses of school and enjoying time at home and all the holiday traditions.

My advice to each University of South Dakota student this Christmas is to take a step back and appreciate the little things in life.