With all the hype surrounding Christmas, some people say the holiday is less about tradition and family and more about commerce.

“By 10 p.m. on Halloween, the Christmas stuff is out on the shelves already,” said Jesi Hartman, Alpena junior. “Thanksgiving just gets overlooked.”

Tradition has made the biggest shopping day of the year the day after Thanksgiving, when people line up at store doors in the early morning to get the best deals on Christmas gifts.

The focus of Christmas shouldn’t always be on the gifts, said Sara Brightman, Rockford senior.

“I don’t agree with Christmas being such a material holiday,” Brightman said. “I wasn’t raised religiously, but it should be about spending time with your friends and family, not about spending $100 to make someone happy.”

Hartman said college students have more to worry about than buying Christmas gifts.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that it seems to get worse every year,” she said.

Andy Schirmacher, Jackson junior, said the extent of holiday commercialization depends on one’s perception.

“I go home because it’s Christmas. I don’t treat the holidays as commercial,” he said.

But some students say the holiday is losing its meaning.

“I keep thinking about the ‘Tickle Me Elmo’ thing, and it was pointless,” Schirmacher said. “It turned Christmas into a competition, to see who could get their kid the popular toy.”

Hartman said she worries about the next generation of children.

“I’m afraid that kids of the next generation will forget that the holidays are about so much more than just presents,” she said.

E-mail the author: Maggie CarlsonCentral Michigan Life