Christmas Vs. Halloween

             Arguably, the two most popular holidays in the U.S. are Christmas and Halloween. This is largely because they have been so commercialized by major companies. Big businesses have exploited each of these holidays to make more money for years. Even though the holidays celebrate vastly different things, they both have been commercialized to the point that their religious origins have been forgotten, which shows the damage businesses can inflict on religion. 

Christmas was originally a Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus. Over the years it has turned into a cash grab for companies and focuses primarily on materialism. Although the bible states Christmas is meant to be a time of donating and minimalism, Christmas has become solely focused on the giving and receiving of material goods. By promoting the need to give the best gift, businesses have completely taken away the original meaning of Christmas. Many of the Christmas traditions we know today were created simply to make consumers buy more. Christmas may be fun and joyful, but it has lost its original purpose of celebrating Jesus. 

Halloween was originally a Christian holiday called All Hallows Day meant to celebrate the dead. Though, it has since changed its name and its values. The Halloween we know today is just as focused on materialism as Christmas. This holiday was meant to be a day or mourning and celebrating death, which has nothing to do with the candy, pumpkins, and costumes we associate with it today. As with Christmas, the original intention of this holiday has become warped by greed. Most who celebrate Halloween in America do not even realize it was originally a day to honor the dead. 

Although Christmas and Halloween celebrate completely different things, both have had their religious context impacted by money-orientated corporations. If businesses have the power to take over these holidays through marketing alone, who knows what other sacred elements of religions they could corrupt next. With Christmas approaching and Halloween having just passed, it is important to remember why we celebrate these holidays. When you celebrate are you doing it to appreciate the culture these holidays come from? Or fill the pockets of big business?  

Sources: 

https://dailytargum.com/article/2019/11/commercialization-of-holidays-harms-all 

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/halloween#:~:text=The%20commercialization%20of%20Halloween%20started,Halloween%20style%20increased%20with%20time.