It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The holidays are finally upon us, and whether you head off to the beaches to escape the cold weather or seek a white Christmas, there’s no avoiding the contagious Christmas cheer. It’s time to break out the ornaments, lights, and hang the stockings on the mantle, but how early do you start decorating? Christmas, now more than ever, is overshadowing all the other winter holidays. Decorations are put on display before Halloween comes around and Christmas themed commercials air around Thanksgiving time.

It’s hard not to be excited for Christmas music, peppermint flavored everything, and the festive decorations, but jumping into Christmas time has a deeper meaning. Materialism has taken over our society. When people are supposed to be home having dinner with their families on Thanksgiving, they decide to cut the meaningful time short just to head to the mall to score those Black Friday deals and get their hands on the latest trends. The need for these materialistic items has taken away from the meaning of all the other holidays, and even from Christmas. Why does every holiday now have to be about gift giving? Why is it no longer about enjoying the precious moments we share with those we love? Don’t get me wrong, I love me some presents and I’m certainly no scrooge, but I’m wondering where the true meaning of the holidays went.

With the holidays among us, we have so much to be thankful for. We often times get too caught up in our lives, with school, work, and the regular stresses that come with it all. We tend to lose sight of what is important, such as our health, family, and friends, and tend to need a reality check every once in a while just to stay grounded. So this holiday season, I challenge you to put down the shopping bags and credit cards and think about why the holidays are meaningful to you. With that being said, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, and Happy New Year!