Every December, Americans are subjected to countless commercials and advertisements for Christmas sales. Corporations spend millions of dollars promoting that Christmas is the time for spending and giving. However, buying gifts is slowly becoming what the focus is on.

Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 26, 2011, $35.3 billion were spent on online shopping, according to market research organization ComScore. Note that this statistic does not include the billions of dollars companies received in their stores on days such as Black Friday.

Sales on Black Friday increased 20.7 percent from 2011 to this year. People wait for this day to buy the hottest gifts for cheaper prices, and companies are always very grateful for that.

The trend of buying and getting expensive gifts is slowly whittling down the true meaning of this day, which stems from the remembrance of Jesus Christ’s birthday. However, Christmas is more about an even deeper meaning: giving and joy.

We can all remember when we were younger and we opened the biggest box under the tree, or when we tore away the colorful wrapping paper to reveal that we got the latest Barbie doll or the new set of Hotwheels we really wanted. When we got these gifts, our ecstatic reactions made our parents feel the love they have for us, which is why they bought the toys for us. But when is this too much?

When the desire for getting something for ourselves or family gets to the point where people are being trampled and are dying, we are reaching the breaking point between love and materialism.

Getting gifts for people is a holiday tradition, and I am not suggesting that we should stop or otherwise change Christmas. However, I am suggesting that we all need to “relax” to the point where we aren’t commercializing and obsessing over the material perfection on a holiday that is about family and friends.