It’s interesting to look at this evolution through the messages that companies write in their so-called Christmas cards.

The transformation of Christmas into a consumerist celebration, as it is today, began in the 19th century. Especially in England and the United States, Christmas started to become a celebration more focused on family and less on religion.

Charles Dickens, among other writers, emphasized themes of generosity, family, and charity in A Christmas Carol. It was during this time that merchants realized the economic potential of the holiday and came up with the idea of seasonal gifts.

With the rise of a new era of advertising in the early 20th century, companies began to create specific products just for Christmas. The marketing work surrounding Christmas as we know it today emerged in 1930 with the iconic Coca-Cola Santa Claus. In fact, Coca-Cola had been using Santa Claus in their advertisements since the 1920s, though the image that has been immortalized to this day was created in 1930, marking a major shift toward consumerist Christmas. After World War II, with the increase in purchasing power in Europe and the massification of television, the appeal of a consumerist Christmas intensified even further in Western countries.

At the end of the 20th century, globalization brought new dimensions to the postmodern reality, and Christmas, through its consumerist spirit, began to be celebrated in non-Christian countries. In South Korea, for example, all families celebrate Christmas, even though they are not Christian. On the other hand, in China, the Christmas atmosphere is felt in the lavish decorations in large shopping malls. In Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, Christmas is felt in tourist areas, with decorations and Christmas trees. Many Turks see it as a way to celebrate the New Year and do not associate the decorations with the Western religious meaning of Christmas. In the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, and many other countries with a large expatriate presence, Christmas has also been adopted by commerce as a festive season.

At this point, it is relevant to ask whether Christmas still exists today, or if over time, new ways of celebrating it have been created without any association to the religious tradition. How many children today are aware that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the Baby Jesus?

The corporate sector in Portugal, as in other Western Christian countries, had to adapt to the existence of various kinds of Christmas celebrations. Companies began to have employees, clients, and partners from various backgrounds who celebrate Christmas because commerce and the economy saw in this holiday a great business opportunity, and marketing and advertising created the “Christmas package” as a dream that serves multiple geographies and cultures, but far from its original Catholic roots.

It’s interesting to observe this evolution through the messages that companies write in their so-called Christmas cards. About 50 years ago, in most Christmas cards – if not all of them – you could read "A Holy Christmas and a Happy New Year." Today, the cards typically feature a simple message of "Happy Holidays" or "Season’s Greetings." The adaptation to globalization always tends to strip the culture of its identity.

My generation is one that has moved from Pirolito to Coca-Cola, from analog to digital, from saying "I’m going abroad" to "I’m going to city X," from the pride of attending Midnight Mass to rushing through shopping malls for last-minute gifts. I believe that many people from this generation, despite being used to change – and knowing how to take advantage of the good it brings – when they reach this time of year, no longer know, in full consciousness, which Christmas they are really celebrating every year.

The idea of Christmas will continue to evolve to meet the needs, values, and expectations of contemporary societies. I believe we are entering a new paradigm shift with an increasing focus on environmental sustainability.

Consumerism still dominates completely, but in recent years, the idea that "less is more" has begun to gain strength, and people have become more sensitive to the need to conserve natural resources by reducing consumption. With this, little by little, I believe we will start rethinking the meaning of many things, and a return to the original meaning of Christmas, whether religious or Dickensian, will happen.

Until then, whenever we want to talk about the true meaning of Christmas, we will have to add to the famous phrase "Christmas is when people want it" the phrase "Christmas is whatever anyone wants."

This article was published on SAPO.

Founder and CEO of Shift