There has always been a strong focus on the magic of the holidays, but what are people really thinking about?

Every year, it seems as if people forget the meaning of the holiday season and become distracted by material possessions. Maybe this has been brought to my attention as I have begun to grow up and mature, and recently I’ve realized that I too have been a part of the problem.

Personally, I always considered the holidays as a magical time because of all of the traditions that my family had such as decorating the tree together, watching christmas movies, and going gift shopping together. But as time has gone on, some of these traditions have come to an end and been replaced with opening gifts on the morning of the 25th.  

Junior Halley Hernandez spoke about her similar experience. “I started becoming very materialistic when I was at the age of 10, I thought of Christmas as a day of gifts and not a day to celebrate the deliverance of Jesus Christ and family bonding,” said Hernandez. 

Getting distracted by material possessions is very difficult, especially at this age. Sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are designed to switch focus from spending time with loved ones to spending money. 

Also, apps like YouTube and tiktok can make traditions like opening gifts with your family into somewhat of a competition between people to see who receives the most amount of gifts, or the most expensive ones. Although it may be difficult, always remember the real reason you’re exchanging presents is to show gratitude to each other. 

This holiday season, try to focus on the things that actually matter and spend quality time with friends and family to fully enjoy the spirit of the holidays.