VPS.net’s 12 Days of Christmas – 2 Turtle Doves

VPS.net takes a close look at the true meaning of Christmas and how it may be affected by commercialism.

It’s Christmas Eve. In only a few short hours, jolly Old Saint Nick will be making his journey across the world, stuffing stockings and eating cookies along the way. As the Christmas season quickly passes, VPS.net is taking a moment to look at the true meaning of Christmas.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me… 2 Turtle Doves!
Turtle doves are one of the few species of birds that stay together with their mates throughout their lifetime. Because of this, these peculiar birds are a perfect symbol of love and faithfulness. We like to think that our Christmas season is based around these two principles, but every year, Christmas seems to become more and more commercialized. We decided to take a look at how these “two turtle doves”, commercialism and the deeper meaning of Christmas, come together to form our favorite holiday.
Commercialism
It is no secret that consumerism plays a huge role around Christmas time. Business owners see the holiday season as an opportunity to really boost their sales. It’s easy to see with so-called holidays such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday how focused businesses are on competing for sales during the holiday season. This Black Friday, Americans spent an incredible $12.29 billion over the span of only two days. This huge growth in sales is enough to help some businesses finally make a profit for the first time all year.
Commercialism doesn’t stop at the fancy gifts we buy the day after Thanksgiving. Throughout December we see images of Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and bright lights. Although most of the time these traditions enhance our Christmas spirit and cheer, there’s no doubt that advertising takes advantage of Christmas traditions to promote different products and services. Think about your last experience at the mall…sure it was fun and festive, but think of all the Christmas advertising you saw. Did some of this “festive” cheer inspire you to buy more?
Ah, and what about the food? For many, Christmas is a time to eat fancier food that wouldn’t usually be consumed during other times of the year. We love the Christmas season because we know that there will be a delicious feast on the table. Much of this food isn’t cheap, but we justify it due to the Christmas season.
Is it worth going broke just to be able to say that we had a “successful” Christmas?
True Meaning of Christmas
One of the best definitions of Christmas comes straight from the classic, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”:
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more!”
On that Christmas morning, the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes because he found the true meaning of Christmas.
The true meaning of Christmas differs among people around the world. Many embrace the holiday season as a celebration of Christ’s birth. Others take the holiday season as a time to forget about work and their mundane lifestyle and dedicate time to their loved ones.
Finding time for friends and family can be difficult throughout the year, but the Christmas season can be the perfect opportunity to make time.
Christmas is also a great chance to give to the less fortunate. With so many people spending the holiday season cold and hungry, there are countless opportunities to lend a helping hand.
Two Turtle Doves Connecting
Christmas really is what we make of it. Most large corporations and small businesses do not have malicious intent of ruining lives during the holiday season. In fact, most businesses make an effort to help people have a safe, worry-free holiday season.
Web developers, for example, intend on creating safe, easy-to-access content for clients and customers throughout the holiday season. Many CEOs and their employees work hard during the holiday season to provide others with a warm, comfortable holiday experience.
Balance may be what we’re all after. It’s easy to get caught up in the gifts and fancy traditions of Christmas, but if that’s taking away from what we define as the true meaning of Christmas, it may be time to re-evaluate our Christmas season.
We see two sides of Christmas: commercialism, and the deeper meaning. The two turtle doves, like I said before, represent faithfulness and love. We’re all seeking a deeper meaning for our Christmas. Sure, we may stress about finding the perfect gift for that special someone in our lives. Yes, we may fall into the trap of buying the most expensive cheese at the store, just because it’s Christmas.
But in reality, we’re striving to make the most of Christmas, basing everything on love and faithfulness.

During this holiday season think about how you can connect the commercialized Christmas with a deeper, more meaningful idea for celebration. Finding the right connection may just help you find your reason for the season.
During the holiday season, VPS.net works hard to keep your site running. Rely on us so you can focus on the true meaning of Christmas.
Tomorrow we’ll be wrapping up our Twelve Days of Christmas. Check out the final post to add a little cheer to your Christmas morning!