With Christmas fast approaching, companies see this as the perfect time to blast their products out to consumers in the hope of selling as much as possible. These advertisements and promotions start as early as October and are catapulted during the black friday sales with consumers scrambling to buy things for themselves or their families. This commercialized season makes it easy to get swept up in the rush of the holiday season; however, people forget the true meaning of Christmas.

Over the past 20 years, according to Capital One Shopping Research, U.S. Holiday retail sales have almost doubled from $512 Billion in 2006 to $984 Billion this year (2024) showing the drastic increase in spending. This correlates directly to the increase in consumerism and materialism surrounding the Christmas season. Specifically, Americans are spending more than $1,000 on average for this holiday season which is the first time this number has ever been reached. 

It’s important to remember that the true gift of Christmas is time spent with loved ones. Gifts are not the reason for the season, but the love we have with each other, and for Christians, the birth of Jesus. For anyone who wants to celebrate Jesus’ birth, even if you’ve never been to church, Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park, New Lenox, and Homer Glen warmly welcomes all who are interested. 

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