Voices is the Dorset Echo's weekly youth page - written for young people by young people.

Christmas, a unique time of the year where we offer each other gifts in order to remember the three wise men that brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to baby Jesus and to celebrate his birth. 

Is Christmas not a celebration where we should appreciate others and be generous in spirit? The festive season that we all anticipate with excitement seems to produce more stress than peace and joy. 

The charity Samaritans, a service which provides emotional support, conducted a survey which revealed fifty per cent of the 1,160 adult participants hide their feelings at Christmas to keep others happy. 

This statistic shows the affect Christmas can have on a person's mental health. 

One of the many stresses people can have over the festive period is finding the right presents in time. 

We search the shops desperately in the approach to Christmas where lights and festive music bombard the senses. Colours appear in every direction, fighting for our attention until they become a blinding blur and upon entering a shop, the deals overwhelm the customer. 

Everything we see is advertised as the best but what can we really trust? 

Moreover, there is an absurd quantity of products on offer, both overpriced and over packaged. 

Through coercive advertising, individuals are coaxed into believing that they need these commodities, whereas in reality, it is simply encouraging frivolous consumerism, creating vast profits. 

According to the Centre for Retail Research, the United Kingdom is predicted to see 78.69 billion pounds worth of Christmas sales this year - and these figures are only expected to increase in following years.

Christmas is losing its magic and meaning. The festive spirit is dimmed by numbers and sales. 

Stop Christmas becoming so materialistic. Let us restore Christmas to be a time of ‘peace on Earth and goodwill to all’.

By Aimee Mortimore