Christmas, where do i start???

Most of us associate Christmas with buying expensive presents, Eating to much turkey, stuffing our faces with chocolate, and spending time in front of the TV watching Christmas related films.

With the rush up to Christmas starting many months before hand, i wonder how many people actually stop to think why we celebrate Christmas in the first place- not many i suspect.
We are all to wrapped up in thinking what to get aunt sue, and whether mark will like his new toy car or not.
We come together at Christmas to unite as one, to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ,we've all heard the Nativity story and watched endless plays at school, but is this enough understanding for us to know the true meaning of Christmas?
It is a time for sharing, a time for love and peace, to spend time with your family's and loved ones and be grateful that we do have people around us who care. and also to think about the people who are less fortunate than we are- homeless people, the elderly with no family that will be spending Christmas alone.

Some people loath Christmas for fear of getting into debt, it's not about the lavish gifts and food, a lot of people feel under pressure about this having their children demand expensive gifts, but where have the days gone where you had a apple,orange, some chocolate a lump of coal,and a toy in your stocking and be done with it. These days Christmas seems to merely be all about commercialism, with shops doubling their prices of gifts and decorating the stores with bright lights, just to draw you in and spend money most of us haven't got.
As a child i loved Christmas, and the whole build up, as a family we weren't strong Christians but we where taught to value the real meaning of Christmas, i used to go to church every Sunday by choice, and going at Christmas made it even more special, the candle lite service on christmas eve, let us give thanks to Jesus Christ,Now having two children i have been caught up in the media of buying gifts, but my children will grow up knowing the real meaning of Christmas, and whether it be their choice in the furture to celebrate it like i used to is up to them.
You may not be religious or you may not be Christian, but over the Christmas holidays take a few moments and remember the true meaning of christmas.