Is the Christmas feeling slowly dying?

For some, the robust scent of a pine tree alone is enough to get catapult right into the Christmas mood. It happens to all of us, only the trigger varies. It’s also probably the reason we have such a hard time encapsulating it in a broader definition. There is, though, one thing we can all agree on. The so-called “Christmas feeling” often brings to the surface small fragment of recollections from childhood years. Your dad breaking up a sweat over that rusty tree stand; the excitement of your siblings around presents; mom’s traditional fruit cake plus the tummy ache that usually followed it.

But in the recent years, a collective fear of losing this comforting feeling has been built up and many fingers are pointed at extreme commercialization of this holy holiday. Scientists confirm this theory. 

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According to a 2013 Pew Research Center study conducted among a sample of 2,000 adults, 33% of Americans are bothered by the materialism of Christmas and constant pressure to spend money on gifts. There’s plenty of evidence that retailers push the start of Christmas shopping season earlier each year. At this pace, stockings will be displayed on shelves in June and by August the malls will be playing carols.

But is it really fair to hold a grudge against retail giants for sucking the joy out of a religious celebration? As this Slate article explains, they have been way ahead of “Christmas Rush” since Victorian era (the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 1837 to 1901). "KEEP IT IN MIND! It is needless to remind you that CHRISTMAS IS COMING, But we want everybody who intends purchasing CHRISTMAS PRESENTS to comprehend that we are now all ready ... ", read a Nov. 19, 1885, ad by South Carolina retailer Wilhite & Wilhite. That was over a hundred years ago.

So sure, the pressure to splurge more is real, but is not the only hitch. Ironically, people fail to remember what the whole point of Christmas is - even as they hung a baby Jesus decoration in their Christmas tree or fill out their Pinterest boards with DIY angel crafts. Doing so gets them in the “mood”, they believe. 

Other thing that seems to do the trick? Being religious. According to a more recent Pew Research Center study, “Americans who attend religious services regularly are more enthusiastic about the various activities associated with the holiday season than are those who attend worship services less often”. Unfortunately, not many benefit from this

The previous year, Pew psychologists concluded: merely 51 percent of Americans viewed Christmas as more of a religious holiday than cultural. In other words, they don’t go to church or pray much. 

Also, only a small fraction of Christmas traditions had been passed on to the current generation. “Fewer Americans say they will send holiday cards this year than say their families typically did this when they were children. The share of people who plan to go caroling this year also is lower than the share who says they typically did so as children. And while about seven-in-ten Americans say they typically attended Christmas Eve or Christmas Day religious services when they were children, 54% say they plan to attend Christmas services this year”, show the researchers. 
On top of this, adults “like to believe they believed in Santa longer that they actually did,” writes Atlantic journalist, Olga Khazan referring to an AP poll from 2011. 

In the process of growing up, it seems, the holiday’s spirit wore off – kids nowadays know more about Santa then they know about God. But hope is peeking through all this gloomy statistics – and it involves sugary treats. As two Danish researchers found out in 2012, Christmas spirit is not just a “Hallmark holiday” side-effect. “This feeling arises even without pharmacological assistance, although consumption of pastries and hot drinks help sustain that feeling,” the authors mention.

It sounds like a trip to your local Dunkin' Donuts may be required to get you into a jolly mood. Just make sure to bring the whole family with you.

In their 2002 essay called “What Makes for A Merry Christmas?” psychologists Tim Kasser and Kennon M. Sheldon locked closely at how people respond to different Christmas activities – like spending time with family, decorating a tree, shopping – and measure their happiness levels. Turns out, “people who focus on the materialistic aspects of the season are probably less involved with the family and religious experiences that could bring them greater joy." More than that, Kasser and Sheldon say, going for materialistic goals is more stressful, not to mention little rewarding. Interestingly enough, being Eco-friendly offers us more joy. “We found that individuals who engaged in more environmentally friendly consumption behaviors were more satisfied during the holiday”.

The takeaway is pretty clear: “Christmas feeling” comes as a result of a conscious effort of being more emotionally and spiritually engaged. It’s OK to indulge in fancy gifts, but don’t put Amazon or eBay at the core of your Christmas spirit. Do things which comfort the heart. Say a prayer, give a hug, pay for someone’s meal, have a snowball fight, reread with your kids the story of baby Jesus. Be truly merry.