Argumentative Essay About Christmas Time

Christmas is traditionally seen as an annual religious event to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ but has increasingly become a substantial part of society and culture as a whole - celebrated in more than 160 countries by more than two billion Christians and non-Christians (O’Brien, 2016). Consumer spending during the Christmas period is more substantial in some countries compared to others – for example the average British family spends £821.25 during the Christmas period compared to the European average of £532 (Clarke, 2017) - but consumption during the lead up to the Christmas period is second to no none on the retail calendar in many countries around the world. The festive period of Christmas not only brings about staples and motifs

However, due to the nature of the event having a national holiday in many countries coupled with the inability to avoid the event in Western society, it is estimated that about eight-in-ten non-Christians in the US also celebrate Christmas (Pew Research, 2013). The line between Christmas being a ‘holy day’ and a ‘holiday’ have been blurred (Abdulrahim, 2011) with people of different faiths as well as those with no religious beliefs celebrating the event and partaking in its festivities. Religious traditions surrounding Christmas are increasingly vanishing, with many pastors defining it as Christmas time being a ‘prime marketing opportunity’ (Sullivan, 2008) which directly correlates to why the event has become more of a commonality amongst non-believers in more than 160 countries. Further to the point about marketing, brands market heavily during the Christmas period, creating Christmas-tailored adverts that play on national TV, decorating stores to be emblazoned with Christmas-orientated motifs and ramp up sales in the lead-up to Christmas. This is reflected in the numbers with Christmas ad-spending from brands increasing 40% in the past seven years, rising to an all-time high of £6bn in the UK alone (Cheetham,

To put this into perspective, Judith Woods from the Telegraph in her quippy but interesting article rhetorically asks readers; “Do you go for a Norway spruce or Homebase artificial? Elizabethan-style cinnamon stick bundles, or drifts of tinsel?” (2006). What is meant by this is that Christmas is a yearly experience that varies for people of different socio-economic classes due to the consumerism and commercialism bundled up in the event. This theme of socio-economic classes during Christmas is echoed perfectly by Charles Dickens’ aforementioned novel ‘A Christmas Carol’ which showed the rich living in extreme comfort and dining on impeccable dishes whilst the impoverished lived in atrocious conditions in workhouses. Of course, this idea was emphasised by the novel, but in reality, the idea still exists albeit to a lesser extent. Nowadays, the wealthy get to opt for the natural Christmas tree over the artificial one, colour co-ordinated decorations over random Poundland tat, have vast outdoor décor with exorbitant lighting setups and be dined and wined to a more exceptional standard. Sales at luxury stores soar during the period from the wealthy who drive up in their sold-out Ferraris (Wahba et al, 2011), while the lower-to-middle class struggle to pay heating bills in the cold, winter season and settle on layaway