As soon as the Halloween décor comes down, we are suddenly immersed in the joys of Christmas. The commercialism of the season has long been a cause for alarm for many people, especially those with strong religious beliefs. It’s like the almighty bout of Jesus versus Santa Claus. At the heart of it all however, the message remains the same once you remove the commercial influences to spend, spend, spend. Christmas is the season of love, giving, family and hope. And the truth of the matter is, sometimes a Christmas commercial nails it when it comes to getting this message across. That’s probably why I literally burst into tears while watching what people are calling ‘The Most Powerful Christmas Commercial Ever.’ (1)

German Christmas Commercial

The Christmas commercial was released by German supermarket Edeka back in 2015 and it is still touching the hearts of people around the world. It tells the story of an elderly gentleman whose family will not be coming home for Christmas. It shows him eating his Christmas dinner alone complete with a little tree. His kids meanwhile live their lives until they receive notice the father died. The kids all make the effort to get home and the ending is a complete shock. The moral of the story is, of course, that family and the holidays should always go hand in hand. (1)

Christmas Commercial Meal

But it’s also about the meal. The family gathering around a table laden with food plays a key role in the holidays. According to Robin Dunbar, emeritus professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford “eating with others provides both social and individual benefits. I show that those who eat socially more often feel happier and are more satisfied with life, are more trusting of others, are more engaged with their local communities, and have more friends they can depend on for support.” (2)

Christmas Commercials Capturing Nostalgia

The whole lead-up to Christmas day brings back big time feelings of nostalgia for me from finding a tree to decking the halls and planning the meal to singing carols. I have my own family traditions, some passed down to me by my parents and grandparents, others which I developed with my own little family unit of four when the kids came along. Either way, the strong emotional pull of those memories are brought back every year through familiar sights, sounds, and smells. The appearance of Christmas décor decked out in pine boughs, trees, and shimmering displays aglow in red, green, gold, and silver. The warm feeling I get when I hear Christmas carols. The comforting aroma of pine, tangerines, cinnamon, and gingerbread. And yes, even Christmas commercials.

Memories of Christmas Commercial Or Not

Despite the commercial aspects of Christmas, we all experience powerful memories during the holidays. For me, the smell of pine brings back visions of a massive pine tree snuggled in the bay window of our Victorian row house. I remember walking along Queen Street in Toronto, holding my grandfather’s hand on our way to purchase a tree. The tree “lot” was nothing more than a tiny spot staked out on the sidewalk. We’d shake the snow-covered trees leaning against the brick wall of a city factory. The smell of snow and pine is so thought-provoking I can almost feel my grandfather’s hand in mine.

So, while the commercial aspects of the season might be a little unsettling, the messages around us are an important reminder that we should always ensure our loved ones never sit down to Christmas dinner alone.