It is now December, and the holiday season has officially begun.

During this month decked with holidays, people of all creeds and cultures come together to celebrate. However, certain holidays are represented to a greater degree than others.

Stores in the US have already decorated their display windows with Christmas trees and Santa inspired products, beginning as early as September. With this in mind, it seems as though Christmas gets the most attention.

So why is this Christian holiday so overrepresented? Well, according to BBC, in a recent poll, “71% of Americans identified as Christian in 2014.” Yet, this religious majority is not the only reason standing behind the creeping emphasis on Christmas.

Retail stores all over the world benefit hugely from Christmas time: “In 2013, holiday retail sales in the United States amounted to about USD 592.66 billion… [which] can account for as much as thirty percent of a retailer’s annual sales.”

Christmas has been commercialized, with the gift giving aspect of the holiday pervaded by the retail industry.

Stores like Kmart for example, have been preparing their shoppers for the holidays since September – three months before December – with ads promoting different layaway plans.

Rebecca Estrella, MBHS junior, notes that, “the commercialization of our holidays definitely nullifies the emotional significance of what we’re celebrating, which creates this reluctance to celebrate and this excitement to shop – it’s not about the holidays anymore, it’s about the sales that come with it.”

Kenneth Cruz, a senior, agrees: “[Companies] use this time of the year to lure people into buying more things than they would if it were June.”

With the promise of an abundant amount of purchases to be made during the Christmas season, companies eagerly usher in the holiday season – even if it is 3 months early.

The economic benefits that accompany Christmas have caused a dramatic overrepresentation of the holiday, leaving other holidays forgotten.

This year, companies like Starbucks have made an effort to make this season inclusive of all festivities. Their usual annual holiday cups ornamented with winter themed designs, have now been replaced by a bright red to dark cranberry ombre cup. Although the change of Starbucks’ cup could be seen as a refreshing and universal take on the holidays, according to articles on CNBC, people have called the cups the beginning of a “war on Christmas.”

The issue has even attracted attention of Presidential Candidate, Donald Trump. While the controversy over the cup itself may seem petty, it again emphasizes a greater issue: the prolific economic gains now associated with Christmas, have have led the holiday to surface as the most publicized, leaving other holidays like Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa relatively in the dark.  

Estrella adds, “The unequal representation of holidays in the media can allow some to think that their holiday means less than the ones represented in media – think of how often you see Hanukkah acknowledged in media during Christmas season. It’s likely not often.”

So, this year keep in mind that although our capitalist society has decided to put Christmas on a pedestal, it doesn’t mean you have to too!