Let’s put a big X through Xmas this season. Xmas should be done away with, and Christmas should be the focus of celebrations this time of year. A dramatic shift in how we view this incredibly important religious holiday needs to be rethought.

Consumerism has turned a time of being thankful and reflecting on what we have into a sales gimmick. The overdone ads and obnoxious sales are luring customers to front doors of big name stores just for a good deal.

By the media over-stressing how important it is to buy gifts and eat select foods, the true holiday has been lost.

“I’m not against some of the things the media has turned [Christmas] into—I think presents are cool, you show that you love someone by giving them a present,” Danielle Selvais, senior, said, “but I think it has become a little bit about what we’re getting, not remembering what we’ve gotten in the past and how God has been there for us.”

Selvais, a Christian, celebrates Christmas because it is the birthday of her savior Jesus Christ. The holiday is something she is very excited about.

“I think the holidays for someone who is a Christ follower [are] really important because it reminds you that Christ lived on the earth and was in situations like you and why you were created and your purpose and that you’re loved, worth saving and dying for,” Selvais said.

Selvais says she is open about her religion. During the school week she partakes in Uprising, an LZHS Christian-based club, and worships at Willow Creek on Sundays. Even with a strong faith life, she admits she is not perfect, but tries to remember Christmas is about more than presents.

“I’ve spent more time thinking about what I’m [going to] get than being thankful for my faith, God, and Christ,” Selvais said. “It’s hard to remember in all of the [holiday] craziness to be thankful.”