Since the 19th Century, People Have Complained That Christmas Has Been Too Commercialized

Have you, at some point, thought that the holidays have all been excessively commercialized, losing the true meaning of why we even celebrate it? Have you become disillusioned with people simply making Christmas as an excuse to spend more money and put out lavish shows of prosperity or wealth? Well, you're not alone.

“People have complained about the excessive commercialization of Christmas ever since its incarnation in the mid-19th century,” said Lisa Jacobson, a UC Santa Barbara professor of history. “There’s still ambivalence about the commercialization of Christmas. I don’t think that ambivalence has ever entirely disappeared, but it was probably more pronounced in the 19th century than it is now.”

Shocking. So what happened back in the 19th century that made people think that Christmas was too commercialized? It might have something to do with the "Scrooges".

(Image credit: UCSB)