When did Christmas become about money?

Christmas is almost upon us! Everyone is busy putting up decorations, shopping for presents, and making sure they have enough food for friends and family. It's a beautiful time of year, filled with lights, smells and sounds. Yet, I find myself wondering if people truly remember what Christmas is about. I know, I know, this has been written about every year since Christmas started, and yet I don't think we really get the message.

I find myself worrying about getting enough or the right presents for my children. How they will react if we don't have presents this year, times are tough for a lot of people. I see commercials for other countries, how their children or their older generations don't have enough money to celebrate Christmas. (After all this time of year is one of the best times to raise money, people are trying to get their mood right for this holiday.) I see an unemployment chart that shows that 1 in 10 (at least!) Americans still don't have a job.

Then I start to wonder several things. Why are presents so important? Shouldn't we be giving to God for his birthday? Instead we've turned it into a birthday for all of us! We eat till we are bloated, and then hand out hundreds(if not more) of dollars worth of gifts. Maybe we should instead be spending the day in solemn prayer, thanking God for the birth of his Son. Mayhaps we should be decorating our homes with true representations of what Christmas is about, instead of Santas and reindeer. What do you think?