Christmas and the holidays have just passed. People were excited and were expressing themselves through many ways. Some of these ways include decorating, singing, baking, and posting on social media. Every year, there appears to be this “trend” on social media that surrounds the idea of the holidays. People dance to christmas songs, make countdowns, and spend a lot of time on posting content about the holidays. 

Some believe that this ruins the true meaning of Christmas and the holidays, because they are supposed to be about religion and the people you love. 

 “I express my joy for the holidays by gift-giving and decorations, and I think social media does take away a little bit of the meaning, because Christmas is supposed to be about religion,” Freshman Eleanor Jordan said.

Jordan’s family is not very religious, but she still thinks that social media “trends” and Christmas content creators remove the meaning of Christmas. This is due to the fact that instead of spending time with their families and friends, people are spending more time making videos and scrolling. 

There is also the fact that there are children/teens on social media, and most religious children believe in the religious stories that surround Christmas. When they constantly see content creators post things like “Christmas dances”, it may change the way they see their religion and even affect their identity, because it sets an example for them. That example being the idea of being more preoccupied with the “Christmas aesthetic”, instead of the holiday itself. 

“It’s just people expressing themselves on a platform that was created to express opinions,” Freshman Avery Fuller said. 

While this is true, you can only share opinions to an extent before imposing it on someone. 

Freshman Sol Lee said, “I think the true meaning of the holidays is to bring people together, not necessarily to express yourself on a platform”.

I think that the holidays are supposed to bring families and friends together. They are supposed to be about reuniting distant families and providing a time of joy and happiness. Celebrating the year and the hardships that we have completed, and starting the new year with the people you love. 

Constantly posting on social media about the Christmas theme is a way of expressing oneself, but it does not contribute to the religious and general values and beliefs that come with the idea of Christmas and the holidays.