Waking up on Christmas morning is an exciting and enthralling time for children around the world.
It's a morning filled with wonder, hope and anticipation.
The Christmas presents under the tree are given top billing on a morning that has - arguably and potentially - lost it's true meaning.
I don't for one minute think that it is the fault of children that their thoughts lie primarily with ripping off the sparkly paper from their plentiful gifts and seeking the pleasures within.
Their innocence has been nurtured and manipulated by society over a number of years, in a time when the true meaning of Christmas has been swallowed by capitalism, frugalism and the beasts that are corporate retailers.
Our modern 24/7 society is bombarded via every conceivable medium from the beginning of November with Christmas messages from the relentless retailers to spend spend spend.
In a global economy that is gripped by recession, increasing poverty and an ever widening gap of financial disparity such a period of festivity build up becomes tiresome.
The 8 week advertising phenomenon recruits celebrities, fiercely competitive promotions and attracts massive marketing budgets to feed to sparkly eyed consumer.
The pressure of Christmas, the need to fulfill needs and answer the wants and wills of children places a strain on parents that retailers are only to happy to exploit.
The major high street retailers have furnished their aisles with the sparkle and attraction of Christmas before even the fiery embers of Bonfire Night have died.
The advent calendars are adorning the shelves, awash with film themes and cartoon characters with not a sprig of holly or manger scene in sight.
Religion transcends the festival of Christmas.
It's long lost its place as a Christian festival and has become a 'holiday' before a 'day of religious significance.
' Technology has assisted the demise of the true meaning of Christmas too.
Online shopping opens another virtual door for the retailers to burst through - and our 24/7, online, optic fibre, broadband world operates without closing times or checkout queues.
Religion and the church in general have suffered and struggled to find a voice and a message that will appeal to a communication savvy younger generation.
Christmas will always hold its place as a celebration but the true meaning is existing on crumbling foundations and has the potential to disappear altogether into a world of social media, corporate greed and a 24/7 retail culture that is all consuming and maybe just to powerful to hold back.
It's a morning filled with wonder, hope and anticipation.
The Christmas presents under the tree are given top billing on a morning that has - arguably and potentially - lost it's true meaning.
I don't for one minute think that it is the fault of children that their thoughts lie primarily with ripping off the sparkly paper from their plentiful gifts and seeking the pleasures within.
Their innocence has been nurtured and manipulated by society over a number of years, in a time when the true meaning of Christmas has been swallowed by capitalism, frugalism and the beasts that are corporate retailers.
Our modern 24/7 society is bombarded via every conceivable medium from the beginning of November with Christmas messages from the relentless retailers to spend spend spend.
In a global economy that is gripped by recession, increasing poverty and an ever widening gap of financial disparity such a period of festivity build up becomes tiresome.
The 8 week advertising phenomenon recruits celebrities, fiercely competitive promotions and attracts massive marketing budgets to feed to sparkly eyed consumer.
The pressure of Christmas, the need to fulfill needs and answer the wants and wills of children places a strain on parents that retailers are only to happy to exploit.
The major high street retailers have furnished their aisles with the sparkle and attraction of Christmas before even the fiery embers of Bonfire Night have died.
The advent calendars are adorning the shelves, awash with film themes and cartoon characters with not a sprig of holly or manger scene in sight.
Religion transcends the festival of Christmas.
It's long lost its place as a Christian festival and has become a 'holiday' before a 'day of religious significance.
' Technology has assisted the demise of the true meaning of Christmas too.
Online shopping opens another virtual door for the retailers to burst through - and our 24/7, online, optic fibre, broadband world operates without closing times or checkout queues.
Religion and the church in general have suffered and struggled to find a voice and a message that will appeal to a communication savvy younger generation.
Christmas will always hold its place as a celebration but the true meaning is existing on crumbling foundations and has the potential to disappear altogether into a world of social media, corporate greed and a 24/7 retail culture that is all consuming and maybe just to powerful to hold back.