Has Christmas become too commercialized?

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Have you checked your calendar?

Time is ticking down… you have exactly one month left to get your shopping done, gifts wrapped, and the turkey stuffed before the big day.

But do you feel turned off by the endless ads and the pressure to find the perfect gift?

A new poll suggests many of us feel Christmas is becoming a little too commercial.

Nine out of ten are in that category, according to that poll done by Ipsos Reid for World Vision.

Instead, Genevieve Barber with World Vision says we seem to feel the need to reach out.

“Only nine percent of Canadians described Christmas as best being described as giving gifts. So, really, it’s not about the commercialization of it, it’s not about the gifts, it really is about spending time with the people you love and helping others.”

Barber adds there are a few differences from last year’s poll.

“One jump was the number of Canadians who plan to give to charity. So, in 2014, there were 70 per centof people who said they would give to charity during the holiday season, but this year we’re seeing 75 per cent.”

Barber says the results are encouraging for everyone in Canada.

“I know that we’re a country that is known for its generosity, and I think because of what’s been going on perhaps in the media in coverage of just the issues around the world, we see that there is a swing for Canadians to look outside of their own little bubbles and to really see how they can help others. One interesting stat we have where we saw a jump from 2014 to 2015 was the number of Canadians who would prefer to receive a meaningful gift that would help someone else, so a charity gift where you’re donating to a charity in their name.”

Barber says in 2014, 63 per cent said they’d be interested in having a friend or family member do something in their name.

This year, that number is 76 per cent.