Every December since I can remember, I’ve volunteered at my church’s Holy Walk through Bethlehem. Holy Walk offers families in the community the opportunity to travel back in time to the night Jesus was born. Of course, the event is completed with Biblical costumes and a strong faith in the holiday season.

While I volunteered at my church a few weeks ago, I realized how much Christmas has changed from what the event was originally intended to be. It should be a holiday to celebrate and embrace the Christian religion; it’s now dominated by gifts adorned with green and red wrapping paper under the tree.

Sometime over the years, the holiday message has changed. I am not sure how or why it did, but it probably has to do with the commercialization of Christmas and other holidays.

According to the National Federation of Retailers, holiday sales alone make up 19.5 percent of all retail sales per year. In some industries, 40 percent of sales occur during the Christmas season.

Although the numbers are certainly higher than I expected them to be, I can’t say I’m completely surprised. Every retail store has started sending out holiday-themed catalogues in November. Target and Walmart are busting at the seams with fanatic shoppers, holiday decorations and begging children who are told to be good for Santa Claus.

In fact, holiday sales have gotten so insane that on the radio one morning, a caller told the DJs that she had already spent $4,000 on gifts alone. She said she didn’t know if she would be able to pay some of her bills this month.

Why anyone would want to start a new year in debt is beyond me. But I also can’t understand why people feel the need to spend so much money simply to impress people who already love them.

From a religious perspective, Christmas should be a cherished holiday. From a modern perspective, the holiday is more about spending time with loved ones than religion for many people. Either way, spending hundreds of dollars on a new iPhone for Johnny Appleseed has nothing to do with it.

So take a step back. Instead of buying numerous gifts for your friends and family, think about what they really want. Make Grandma a scrapbook or buy your cousin a nice dinner and catch up.

However, there is a certain degree of thoughtfulness you have to take with this approach. Don’t bombard your best friends with shirts they won’t wear or get your grandparents technology that they don’t understand. It’s not the quantity of presents you give or receive; it’s the quality.

If your family must buy expensive presents for everyone, mention drawing names for a gift exchange. Instead of emptying your wallet to purchase gifts for all of your cousins, now you only have to buy a present for one of them. That way, everyone saves money, and you are less likely to get an odd gift from someone you haven’t seen for 10 years.

The best way to celebrate Christmas, or any holiday, is with the people you love. Gifts and material items shouldn’t matter as much as your family does.

In fact, holiday spirit is free. It doesn’t grow on Christmas trees or from the sound of swiping credit cards at the mall. However, holiday spirit does come from performing random acts of kindness or watching Christmas movies.