Christmas Franchise: The Economic Aspect of Chritsmas

The National Retail Federation estimates that approximately $989 billion will be spent nationally on holiday shopping this year. According to demandsage.com, shoppers are expected to spend an average of $1,638 on holiday shopping, travel, and entertainment. Considering that only 80% of shoppers report planning to spend money specifically for Christmas, this is a significant amount. The majority of this spending goes toward gifts (80%), followed closely by food (79%), decorations (43%), and candy (42%). Meanwhile, according to unicef.org, $183 billion is needed annually to achieve global education goals, but currently, only $106 billion is available. When calculated, just 7.78% of the money spent on Christmas would be enough to provide children worldwide with access to education. However, the rampant consumerism in today’s society makes this seem unattainable. How did we reach this point?

                               

History

The first Christmas was celebrated in 336 CE by the Catholic Church in Rome, Italy. Unsurprisingly, this occurred during the reign of Constantine, the first Christian Roman emperor. Christmas marks the anniversary of the birth of Jesus, who, according to the Bible, is the son of God. The teachings of Jesus shaped the Bible and the foundation of Christian beliefs. In the United States, Christmas became a federal holiday in 1870.

The modern character of Santa Claus began to gain popularity in the 18th century, inspired by St. Nicholas, a monk from Turkey. St. Nicholas was known for giving away all his earnings to support the poor and sick. However, the poem "’ Twas the Night Before Christmas" is credited with shaping the Santa Claus we recognize today. In the poem, Santa is depicted as a large, elderly man in a red suit, carrying a bag of toys.

As with many holidays, Christmas traditions vary across the world. In several European countries, such as the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, people celebrate their own versions of Santa Claus, including Sinterklaas and Père Noël. The character of Sinterklaas, like Santa Claus, was also inspired by St. Nicholas.

From canonjjohn.com by Zvonimir Atletic

The Presents

Gifts are considered one of the main components of celebrating Christmas. The average American spends $902—approximately a week's pay—on Christmas per person. Since 71% ($641) of that money is spent on gifts, they can be seen as one of the most significant aspects of the holiday. Traditions that include gifts include

• From the 13th century to the mid-17th century, the royals in medical Europe made their servants give or create gifts for them and used gift-giving as a type of taxation
• During the Tudor period, people would exchange gifts for the New Years
• These gifts varied from gloves and oranges to gold and spices
• During this period King Henry VIII also received various lavish gifts
• In Scotland, the Feasts of St. Nicholas was held on December 6 where people exchanged gifts, mainly for adults

These examples show that December gift-giving was a common tradition in various parts of the world long before it became a symbol of Christmas. Traditionally, Christmas was characterized by feasting and rowdy celebrations. Men would go door-to-door singing carols and offering drinks. The transformation of Christmas into a family-centered holiday is credited to the Victorians, who emphasized children as the focus of the celebration.

The incorporation of gifts into Christmas began in the 16th century during the Protestant Reformation. With fewer feast days, the focus of the holiday shifted. Dutch settlers brought the tradition of Sinterklaas to America, and over time, his gift-giving evolved into the modern concept of Santa Claus, whose presents became associated with Christmas rather than St. Nicholas's Day.

From Freepik by Valeria Aksakova

Purpose 

The presents of Christmas were inspired by St. Nicholas. However, when we look back, he didn’t buy a new pair of headphones for his brother. Instead, he gave to the poor and ill, essentially giving back to his community and supporting those in need.

Today, Christmas has become a holiday centered around baking cookies, decorating homes inside and out, feasting with family, and, of course, exchanging gifts. While these traditions bring joy, the holiday should also emphasize helping those who are underprivileged and struggling. 

As a community, we should focus on uplifting disadvantaged populations, especially during this season. Christmas’s ability to bring families together for projects, events, and activities is truly spectacular, but it also offers an opportunity to enhance and improve society as a whole that we need to take an advantage of. 

Fun Facts:

• Between 1659 and 1681, celebrating Christmas was outlawed in Boston.
• Annually, 25–30 million real Christmas trees are purchased worldwide, with the U.S. alone boasting 15,000 Christmas tree farms.
• While Americans spend heavily during the holidays, Canadians are estimated to spend approximately $1,000 more per person.
• Around 3 billion Christmas cards are sent each year in the U.S. alone.
• Irving Berlin's hit single "White Christmas" is the best-selling Christmas song of all time, with over 100 million copies sold worldwide.
• It takes approximately 4–15 years for a Christmas tree to grow to maturity.
• On December 16, 1965, "Jingle Bells" became the first song ever sung in space by two astronauts.
• The first recorded celebration of Christmas on December 25 occurred in A.D. 336.

Reference:

• The Conversation
  
• History
  
• Gifts International
• Exploding Topics
  
• Sinterklaas Hudson Valley
  
• National Gallary of Art
  
• Heritage UK
• Dallas City News
  
• Fat Beam Fiber