Christmas is a holiday that 92% of Americans celebrate.

Christmas is a myriad and colorful holiday: red and green flashing lights, cheerfully wrapped gifts, and the delicate array of celebratory ornaments (some saved over generations as tradition).

Christmas is a time of generosity, family time, and the warmth of togetherness.

Christmas is also a time of corporate scams and advertisements months in advance .

Halloween barely starts and there are already Christmas elves and mistletoe decorations decking the halls (pun intended) of most stores and marketplaces.

I’ve heard many people throughout my life banter and ramble about how awful and greedy companies are, saying they’ve just turned christmas into a way to bribe people of their money and leave people broke after the holidays.

I agree that corporations are greedy snakes, I will say however, it is not the corporations ripping these people of their money.

If you go broke on the holidays trying to get gifts, this is very likely your fault.

I’m not saying that pricey gifts and shiny advertisements don’t affect us, because they do what i’m trying to say is that it’s the idea that christmas is just about gifts is the real issue.

If we didn’t give or receive gifts then Christmas wasn’t worth it…right?

We live in a society of entitled, materialistic, and desire driven people.

People say holidays wear them thin financially, stress them out, and some even say it’s a wasteful holiday.

All of these things are true because people just can’t realize that….the holidays aren’t about what you get or give.

Holidays are about who you love, and how you live.

My mom hasn’t always been the best at budgeting her money on holidays, and she is a bit of a hypocrite with this quote but it’s what the quote means that matters, not who said it “ One of the worst things people can do is replace presence with presents.” I agree with this statement.

I as a small child would for all the world have rathered to just spend Christmas with my family and be cheerful and happy and together because Christmas is no fun when you can feel your family stressing the way mine did, no matter how many gifts you get.

Be present this holiday season, and don’t worry about the presents.