With Easter’s recent passing, April 20, numerous stores sit fully stocked with excess holiday-related items and perishable foods. Because of items’ branding to a specific celebration, as the season finds its way far into the rear-view mirror, these items face major markdowns and discounts before their inevitable deposition into landfills and dumps. This ritual regarding each holiday season brings to light the dynamic issue of overconsumption and focus on consumerism surrounding American holidays that diminishes the true meaning of these festivities.
As the year progresses, those who celebrate annual holidays such as Easter, Halloween, Christmas and other similar festivities tend to deck out in the related gear and decorations — for example, winter calls for gingerbread houses and the Fourth of July blasts off with fireworks. While these notable pieces and traditions regarding the celebrations certainly bring the entertainment factor, high spirit and noticeable participation to the holidays, they also bring overpowering amounts of wasted product — an increased 25% waste during the holidays than any other time — and items that fail to become repurposed. This further contributes to a diminishing purpose these days.
“I think that the true meaning of holidays has definitely been overlooked in the past couple of years. Whether they include spiritual significance, gratitude or family reflection, social media has played a big role in diminishing the value of holidays and how they are celebrated. While the original meanings are still there for some people, they are often drowned out by the ads, sales and pressure to spend and the focus on spending and buying stuff for these certain holidays has made it harder for people to remember the real reasons why we celebrate certain holidays. The media, more specifically advertisements and social media, play a huge role in shaping how we think holidays should look. It creates unrealistic versions of celebrations filled with expensive gifts, big decorations, and flawless gatherings, which encourages people to buy more so they can match that expectation,” magnet senior Isabella Alves said.
As holiday seasons approach, people focus on the materialistic parts of holidays — gifts, activities and decorating — which overwhelm why people celebrate. Numerous religions across the globe mark specific days within the year to celebrate an idea or event regarding that religion, for example, Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus and Ramadan, celebrating the day the Holy Qur’an descended from heaven. Each day recognized as a world holiday symbolizes value, whether in historical, religious or social context.
Harris Interactive conducted a study that showed that out of 2,143 participants, over 2,000 individuals did not know what they celebrated on St. Patrick’s Day. Therefore, it stands in high importance that the people who celebrate these holidays should understand the motives and reasoning, recognizing the main cause for commemorating these times.
“For people, holidays can start to feel more like deadlines rather than times of joy or connection. There’s this sense of ‘you have to buy something’ to show you care. For businesses, holidays are major profit opportunities. They plan months in advance to market products, create limited editions, and capitalize on emotional appeal to boost sales. The pressure to buy the “perfect” gift or spend a certain amount often overshadows the more meaningful aspects, like spending quality time with loved ones, reflecting on the year or celebrating an important part of your religion. Instead of feeling excited, some people feel stressed or even guilty if they can’t afford much,” Alves said.
However, holiday-themed rituals have turned these special moments into a rivalrous searching for discounted items, especially when it comes to Black Friday, perfecting a gift and partying hard. Instead, individuals should create memories and connect with loved ones, as well as continue and make new traditions. Gradually, sentimental pieces of holidays have faced the turmoil of materialism, bringing those who recognize holidays to expect specific gifts or events.
While a significant part of holidays stands within the practices of gift-giving, quality time and even decoration and costuming, individuals can find ways to recall the true morals and ideas for each holiday, while also reducing the amount of waste produced. As holidays continue to represent their merit, only a handful of the public understands the truths behind the momentous days.
