America’s Generous Christmas Spirit

Contemporary Christmas celebrations have often served as a time for reflection and introspection in American society. At the same time, the perception that American consumerism increasingly animates the season is highlighted and criticized more and more each year. Gift-giving and receiving divorced from the commemoration of the incarnation of Jesus Christ are lamented by conservatives as evidence of an increasing irreligious population. It’s also lamented, in turn, by progressives as evidence of an inherently “greedy” and “materialistic” telos animating American society.

Yet, while criticisms of American consumerism, irreligiosity, and materialism have their place, each is overstated in many ways. The United States remains the most religiously observant major Western democracy. Nearly 70 percent of Americans state that religion plays a role in their daily lives (compared to a mere 20 percent of Western Europeans). Americans also remain incredibly generous compared to the rest of the Western world. Indeed, the United States was the most generous nation over the last decade, and the American tendency to give only increased following the Covid-19 pandemic.

About the Author

Miles Smith IV

Miles Smith IV is a professor in the history department at Hillsdale College.

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Contemporary Christmas celebrations have often served as a time for reflection and introspection in American society. At the same time, the perception that American consumerism increasingly animates the season is highlighted and criticized more and more each year. Gift-giving and receiving divorced from the commemoration of the incarnation of Jesus Christ are lamented by conservatives as evidence of an increasing irreligious population. It’s also lamented, in turn, by progressives as evidence of an inherently “greedy” and “materialistic” telos animating American society.

Yet, while criticisms of American consumerism, irreligiosity, and materialism have their place, each is overstated in many ways. The United States remains the most religiously observant major Western democracy. Nearly 70 percent of Americans state that religion plays a role in their daily lives (compared to a mere 20 percent of Western Europeans). Americans also remain incredibly generous compared to the rest of the Western world. Indeed, the United States was the most generous nation over the last decade, and the American tendency to give only increased following the Covid-19 pandemic.