As Thanksgiving food babies are covered up in cozy Christmas sweaters and red, green, and white decorations are hung all around, it’s interesting to think about how much money we spend over the holidays.

Endless wish lists and Jingle Bells playing in stores immediately after Halloween can make us wish for an era that we weren’t even alive in, one that existed maybe even before our grandparents were alive. I imagine a time when the holidays weren’t dictated by holiday marketing and Christmas consumerism.

The funny thing is, that time doesn’t exist. At least not in America. The beginning of consumerism during Christmas occurred around the same time that the American Christmas began. After colonization and American independence, Christmas was not a season of festivity. Christmas was celebrated quietly in the home, amongst family and friends. Our founding fathers viewed the “pursuit of happiness” as property, increasing the chance of consumerism in America. The industrial revolution then sparked the real beginning of consumerism. The rising popularity of Christmas and the increasing commercialization of it went hand in hand. Through commercialism, movies, and music, the Christmas holiday became a mark of American culture.

The commercialization of Christmas has transformed the idea that it was a sweet, gentle holiday into a huge set of commercial activities– the object of which is not to express love but to increase greediness. The true meaning of Christmas has been trampled under the feet of sellers and buyers, whose intentions have no relation to the supposed “reason for the season.” So whether you gift experiences or DIY presents, remember to look up from the endless sales and rethink if you really need to be funding this constant money-hungry corporate machine.