Commercialization Of Christmas
...hing. The Promotion of Christmas in advertising aims to attract attention and the public’s desire for goods by associating them with well known holiday symbols. (Barnett, pg. 85) The most common symbols used are Santa Claus with his sleigh and reindeer, the lit up Christmas tree, carolers singing songs, candles, bells, mistletoes, and snow-covered landscapes are all used to associate the merchants products with the public’s tradition of gift-giving during this holiday. The Commercialization of Christmas, among other national festivals, has been rooted into the business character of our economy. (Barnett, pg. 96) Different businesses in all type of fields compete for profits in a struggle to outperform the competition. Many businesses that may have slow commission periods throughout the year, count on the holiday season to help level off or surpass last year’s production numbers. Retail merchants vary in the different ways they exploit the holiday. Some use the Christian imagery of the Nativity in ways which debase its spiritual significance and outrage good taste, but this is a rarity. (Barnett, pg. 97) Usually Christmas advertising has been limited to the use of seasonal symbols such as Santa Claus, a Christmas tree or family gatherings in order to promote a certain trade mark or brand. Even though this exploitation of the Christmas festival for profit has been successful and is tolerated by the majority of the public, it has caused some resentment. Many devout Christians have been quoted in saying that the holiday has taken a turn for the worse. They attribute this to the fact that the true meaning and spirit of Christmas, the birth of Christ, has been exploited and manipulated by the modern worlds economic, and society’s greed and thirst in the consumption of goods. In spite of this criticism, business exploitation of Christmas continues and shows tendencies to broaden its area of influence. (Barnett, pg. 99) This is seen with the pre-holiday advertising, the professional Santa Claus, store decorations inside and out, the annual office Christmas party, and not to mention the public’s, preoccupation with Christmas shopping. Many adults accept the commercial “props” of the holiday with tolerance and even with enthusiasm. This group has shown to outnumber those who criticize the commercialization of the holiday. This “exploitation” of the Christmas holiday has been accepted through a process, which for a number of centuries has...