Dr Nishant A.Irudayadason
Professor of Philosophy and Ethics,
Jnana-Deepa Institute of Philosophy & Theology, Pune.

Christmas is very near, and it is a delight par excellence. The much-awaited holidays are the richest in calories and the most exciting of all. And yet, everyone loves it. Despite the season’s chill weather and shortened days, everyone becomes panting at the dawn of December. A fervour, if not a sweet madness, takes hold of us and makes us impatient for the arrival of the 25th. But for many, it is not about the birth of Jesus two millennia ago. The religious event pales in comparison to the commercial ogre that Christmas has become, a smiling and smoothed-out ogre to drain our economy. Even before being a religious or family celebration, Christmas has become the ultimate symbol of our consumer society.
We all love the surplus of decorations, lights, posters, and wrapping paper because it reminds us repeatedly that there are, above all, gifts at Christmas. Christmas remains, paradoxically, a material one-upmanship that pleases us, even though the feast, at its origins, was intended to celebrate the simplicity of the Christian faith in the birth of Christ. Today, trying to keep it simple at Christmas is synonymous with expiration. We must receive and offer beautiful gifts; the beauty here is based on the purchase value. In this respect, the days leading up to 25 December are like a straight corridor with no window to the outside but the windows of the shops and their products, to such an extent that it seems impossible to escape them.
Advertising invasion and intense marketing teasing are not unique to Christmas alone. But Christmas seems unique because it is this time of year when they are used most thoroughly and paradoxically, without the slightest economic or moral restraint. It is sad to note that the material aspect has become a foundation of this grand festival. We have reached the point that Christmas without gifts, among the new generations, is not a real Christmas, or a very bland Christmas at the very least. But is the idea of giving gifts at Christmas reprehensible? It would be dishonest and unusually rigid to insist that gifts have no place at Christmas. On the contrary, the act of giving corresponds even to the Christian spirit of the celebration. The mutual exchange of gifts fits perfectly into a period of rejoicing like Christmas.
The problem lies in the alienation of this exchange of gifts, which, in the guise of overconsumption, has imposed itself precisely as a foundation of our celebration of Christmas. The friendly and simple exchange of gifts is often turned into a long and superficial ceremony in which the gift takes priority at Christmas over the joy of the spiritual message that God has come closer to us. Far from the prevailing consumerism, Christmas reminds Christians of the birth of the Son of God, who came to save men and guide them on the path of peace. Today, the small gifts offered in privacy have been supplanted by the large packages unwrapped in large. It is a show of the gifts we have given, which everyone must see and congratulate. This is because the gift is no longer measured by its sentimental value but is measured by its monetary value.
A materialistic way of life is not unrelated to our neo-liberal economic system, whose singularity lies in its desire for free exchange from a perspective of personal profit. And if we look at the historical evolution of the last 30 to 40 years, this trend is rising. It is a legacy of this society that the wave of consumption marking Christmas each year testifies to a reality that gradually spreads over the generations. But let’s not disdain our joy. Christmas remains Christmas, and it has a very special meaning for many people. Every year, it’s an opportunity to have a good meal with family and friends under the best auspices. The important thing is to be with our family, the people we love and who love us, and that’s what we learn from Jesus. So, it’s important to focus not just on the gifts but also on the new-born child whose face God’s love is manifested. God asks for our love; that is why he became a child. God made himself small, so we could understand, welcome, and love him.