Dr. Marsha Richins, a professor in the Trulaske College of Business at the University of Missouri — Columbia, has published numerous journal articles on the subjects of materialism, consumer values and social comparison. She said America’s emphasis on one’s acquisition of material possessions is by no means unique to the country, though the pervasiveness of its materialistic tendencies does make it distinct from other cultures. 

Instead of focusing on friends, family and the true meaning of the winter holidays, people too often fixate on the commercial aspect of the season.