Greed! The Corporate Takeover of Holidays: Rediscovering the True Spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas

Just like in the average Hallmark movie, I am home for the holidays.

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And also like those movies, I’ve returned from the “big city” to the small hometown—but don’t worry, we’re not about to follow the standard plot where someone leaves their high-stress corporate job, discovers the magic of small-town life, meets a flannel-wearing widower, falls in love, saves the local bakery, and changes their entire life in three days.

(If this was a spoiler for anyone… I’m sorry. But also: really?)

Where was I?

Ah yes, why I brought up Hallmark in the first place.

My loving wife has quietly—strategically—turned me into a Hallmark officiant.

The sheer volume of Christmas movies they produce is astonishing.

If the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever collapses, Hallmark can pick up the franchise and keep generating 30 new plots a year without breaking a sweat.

And that’s what got me thinking this morning. "Hallmark is cashing in on the holidays."

Because here I am in my family’s hometown, flipping through old photos, talking with relatives about the way things used to feel during the holidays.

Back then, we’d go house to house—each one bursting with people, food, noise, and warmth.

Nobody worried about shopping. Nobody was stressed about “getting everything done.”

Nobody cared what was sold out at the mall.

We were just in the moment.

Present.

Laughing.

Eating.

Living.

And THAT was the heart of the holidays.

When Holidays Held Meaning

Thanksgiving and Christmas once held deep cultural and spiritual meaning—rooted in gratitude, gathering, faith, and reflection.

Today?

They feel overshadowed by the relentless, bright, blinking billboard of consumerism.

(Christmas stuff is out before Halloween now. I half-expect to see Santa riding a pumpkin by 2026.)

The original spirit feels buried under layers of sales, ads, countdowns, and shopping lists.

And let me be clear: I’m not anti-business.

Business pays bills, feeds families, and keeps the world running.

But somewhere along the way, the balance shifted.

Corporate interests didn’t just join the holidays—they took the wheel, grabbed the auxiliary power cord, and started blasting their own playlist over the speakers.

Holidays stopped being events we celebrated and started being events we prepared for.

And I wonder if it isn’t too late to reconnect to the spirit we grew up with.

(If you read a little sadness form me there, you are right.)

How Holidays Became Shopping Events

How Holidays Became Shopping Events

Yes, we shopped back in the day (50 years ago… but who’s counting?). Shhh, yes, I know that was a long time ago.

But the shopping was just background noise—not the main event.

We talked about what the holidays meant.

We learned the stories.

We focused on the feeling, not the price tags.

Somewhere between then and now, Black Friday swallowed Thanksgiving whole.

Christmas deals jump from the shadows in September.

At this rate, we’ll soon see:

“Labor-Day-Christmas Blowout!

Celebrate the birth of Christ AND the American worker… with 40% off appliances!”

Retailers didn’t do this by accident.

They found a way to weave shopping into the emotional fabric of the holidays.

And it worked.

The Impact on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has long been one of my favorites.

It was just being thankful and spending time with the family showing gratitude for the blessings of the past year.

Grandma's house was packed.

Kids everywhere.

Aunts and uncles arguing about nothing and everything.

Food so plentiful the table groaned.

Today, the focus often shifts quickly from gratitude to the frenzy of Black Friday shopping.

Many people spend the holiday weekend hunting for deals rather than enjoying time with loved ones.

The pressure to buy the perfect gifts or prepare an extravagant meal can create stress instead of joy.

People finish dinner… and immediately strategize their Black Friday battle plans.

Some leave the table early to get in line for a deal on a TV they don’t really need.

The shift is subtle but tragic:

Gratitude gets one day.

Consumerism gets the whole weekend.

And that feels wrong.

The Quiet Cultural Takeover

Here’s what really bothers me:

Corporate influence doesn’t just shape our habits—it shapes our beliefs.

Kids grow up thinking Christmas = presents.

Adults feel pressured to overspend to “prove” love or success.

Social media sets expectations nobody can keep up with.

And slowly, quietly, painfully…

The meaning fades.

And here's the part that hits me hardest:

Those old memories—the magic, the warmth, the way it truly felt—we are the last generation that remembers them firsthand.

And spoiler alert:

We will not last forever.

If we don’t pass the feeling on, corporations will do it for us.

And their version… is hollow, but it is rapidly getting embedded in our psyche, influencing behavior and attitudes.

Reclaiming What Matters

Despite the noise, I believe it’s still possible to reclaim the spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

But it has to start with us—

the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and old souls.

Here’s how we can bring the meaning back:

• Prioritize Time Over Things

Sit. Talk. Laugh. Let the moment be enough.

• Practice Gratitude

Share what you're grateful for. Make it a ritual.

• Simplify Gift-Giving

Thoughtful > expensive.

Handmade > mass-produced.

• Support Local or Ethical Businesses

If you’re going to spend, spend where it matters.

• Volunteer or Give Back

Generosity restores something inside us that shopping never can.

Communities & Families: The Real Carriers of Meaning

We forget this—but WE are the vessels of memory.

We are the storytellers.

The keepers of feeling.

The ones who know what used to matter.

By choosing differently—by gathering, sharing, laughing, remembering—we give the next generation something no corporation can sell.

Finding Balance

The challenge is to find balance.

Holidays can include joyful gift-giving and festive activities without losing their deeper meaning.

I’m not suggesting we all sit around a fire chanting like druids.

The goal isn’t to eliminate the joy of giving.

It’s simply to restore the joy of being.

This balance helps restore holidays as times of reflection, gratitude, and connection.

So, what am I grateful for?

Honestly?

I’m grateful for everything.

For my life.

For my family.

For my friends.

For you—every one of you who takes time to read my rambling thoughts.

For love.

For another trip around the sun.

I hope today brings you peace, warmth, laughter, and a moment that feels just a little bit like the holidays used to.

Talk about the old days.

Tell the stories.

Remind the younger ones why it mattered.

Be blessed.

Be kind.

And Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.

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