During Christmastime, it can be easy to get caught up in the material aspect of the holiday season: gifts. Whether it's the buying or the receiving, Christmas gifts seem to be the major premise of one's thoughts as December 25 gradually approaches. Though there can be a lot of sentimental meaning behind Christmas gifts, it can oftentimes overtake the actual meaning behind Christmas and what it stands for.

In this day and age, everything is expensive.

Whether it's your weekly groceries or a new pair of fuzzy socks for winter, every single item has a price tag on it. This can be difficult when it comes to buying Christmas gifts for your mom, brother, or aunt, especially if you're a full-time student with little income. On the other hand, we're also expecting at least one gift from our parents because we had that Apple Watch at the top of our Christmas list and Mom and Dad constantly receive texts about it.

We as a society have developed this misconceived idea that we're required to spend a monumental number just to show our loved ones that we love them.

This should not be the case.

The entire act of gift-giving and receiving has become the primary focus when it comes to Christmas when in reality, it should be the last thing on our minds. We get caught up in this idea that we have to find the most expensive, most popular, trendiest item there is so that we can satisfy both ourselves and our loved ones. But in the grand scheme of things, this doesn't matter. The people we love don't expect an enormous gift; instead, they would appreciate something sentimental or personal. The little things, the gifts that truly come from the heart, are the ones that actually matter.

Spending dollar after dollar on a material item that may go out of style within the next six months does not compare to spending quality time with family and friends that we can't get anywhere else. Being around the people that you love means for experiencing those memorable moments filled with laughter, joy, and celebrating one another's company.

Nothing will ever compare to those moments with loved ones, especially during Christmastime.

During this fast-paced, wonderful holiday season, it may feel like we're going at 100 miles a minute with all of the things we're required to do on our checklist. But in the grand scheme of things, it is so much more worthwhile to slow down and live in the present moment. Grab a coffee and catch up with a friend from high school, take a trip around your hometown to look at Christmas lights with your significant other, make some hot chocolate with your sister while watching Christmas movies on repeat. Those are the things we should focus on during this season, not the number of gifts we still need to buy or order online. It is during those moments where we can find complete happiness in even the smallest of things.

When this holiday season passes and another one arrives soon after that, it will be those treasured moments of time spent with beloved companions that you will remember the most, and that is what Christmas is truly about.