Christmas is quickly approaching and Christmas ads appear everywhere; on billboards, TV, and outside shops. Christmas used to be a time full of joy and family, where you ran downstairs to open gifts and watch some of your favorite Christmas movies. But each year, with the growing popularity of social media, huge companies have taken over the holiday spirit with their ads. No longer is Christmas a time of happiness and cheer, it has become the holiday of corporations and commercialism.

Christmas has always been somewhat industrialized because it is centralized on giving gifts to your loved ones. But it seems as time has gone on people have forgotten what Christmas is really about. They care more about sales and huge gifts than the feeling and spirit behind Christmas.

The Christmas spirit embodies everything family and love related when you sing carols and gather around the Christmas tree. Going out to find the perfect gift and giving it to someone, that’s what used to be important. Now it’s become whatever sale is the lowest and which deal is the cheapest because companies care more about your money than what really matters — the idea behind the giving.

The true spirit of Christmas is slowly disappearing out of our lives, and being replaced by the big corporations who only care about your money. Furthermore, there was a lawsuit against big chain stores like Macy’s and JCPenney’s, claiming that they were misleading customers on their deals for Christmas.

A few reasons for this are: social media’s increasing popularity and the popularization of online shopping. The use of mobile devices helps spread the commercialization of the holidays. But we can’t ignore the fact that Christmas no longer feels like a holiday — it feels like a chance for more sales.

While this may seem like the end for a beloved holiday, I think that people still embody the spirit. The festiveness has not been lost in the same way that the true spirit has been. Christmas lights line the streets, and the music and ambiance only add to the feeling of joy that comes with this time of the year. So commercialism may be taking over, but don’t let it make us lose the happiness of waking up on Christmas day to find presents under the tree. Happy Holidays!