Holiday Shopping Shows Capitalism at Its Finest

Beyond lighting some candles or spending a few hours in church, many of us celebrate the holidays in strictly secular ways. We put up beautiful trees bedecked with delicate ornaments. We feast on delicious food and exchange gifts with friends and loved ones. The holidays are a celebration of consumerism, of which the miracles, in my opinion, aren't performed by God but by humanity itself.

Whole Foods Market (WFMI) is just one of those miracles, a chain of 194 stores chock full of the freshest and most appetizing foods you've ever seen. Wander through the aisles of this glorious retailer to experience the astonishment of the bounty of grains, wines, meats and produce from all over the world.

Apple (AAPL), a company once left for dead, has innovated an entire new era of computing and entertainment technology. It's impossible to calculate how many millions of lives have benefited from such miraculous inventions as the iPhone or iPod. They certainly make my occasional workouts that much more enjoyable.

Or Merck (MRK), a successful multinational pharmaceutical whose products treat everything from glaucoma to shingles to baldness and HIV. We take it for granted nowadays that, although oftentimes expensive, there are safe and effective treatments for thousands of previously fatal conditions. All of these advancements are a result of the commercialism and prosperity the holiday season honors.

Walk down any Main Street or through any mall and you'll see beautiful stores full of warm clothing, inviting foods, pioneering technology and entertaining gifts — all at super-competitive prices. Amazon.com (AMZN) and other online retailers will gladly ship items straight to your door. From imported cheeses to the Nintendo Wii, all have improved the human experience.

Such prosperity wasn't always mankind's lot. There wasn't too much unabashed commercialism or holiday cheer during the Dark Ages, when starvation and disease were more common than tinsel and candy canes. Indeed, simple everyday items we now take for granted, such as Sprint (S) cellphones or Brita water filters, would've been unthinkable possessions even for a king in those days.

In every neighborhood in America stores are full with consumer options that didn't exist a few years ago, let alone during Jesus's time. Is it any wonder that countries that don't embrace capitalism, such as North Korea or Cuba, are more known for empty shelves and rationing than abundant and festive holidays? Christmas celebrates humanity's material gains. That just isn't possible in non-capitalist countries.

The holidays are also a big time for philanthropy, with millions of individuals donating both time and money to those in need. Far from self-sacrifice, most find charity work for a worthy cause to be profoundly satisfying, one of the reasons Americans donated nearly $300 billion last year, a record. Moreover, as a percentage of gross domestic product, the U.S. ranked first, giving twice as much as the next most-charitable countries.

But in order for wealth to be given away it first has to be earned. For millions of years the majority of humanity's existence was spent simply trying to sustain life. The fact we are able to part with our time and money to help others is further evidence of how wealthy our society has become.

The same goes for giving gifts. It feels good to bring someone the joy of a new scarf or an interesting book. It's satisfying to share a new technology or wonderful meal with a loved one. Giving gifts is pleasurable for both the giver and the recipient. Far from self-sacrificial, it's completely self-interested.

Of course, commercialism itself is a net benefit to society. The invention, production, distribution and consumption during the holiday season is a multitrillion-dollar stimulus package with which no Fed chairman or Congress could ever compete. A country where disposable income is spent on trivialities such as Big Mouth Billy Bass and Hannah Montana concert tickets also happens to have the highest standard of living in history for both the rich and poor alike. In the third world, the poor starve on the street and die of curable disease. In capitalist America, the poor "suffer" from obesity and have big-screen TVs.

Santa Claus is a fat, jolly and joyous man for a reason: His bright colors, good cheer and well-fed waistline are indicators of prosperity and wealth creation. Despite what many, including our own acting U.S. Surgeon General, have suggested, a plump Santa is a terrific role model. A skinny, diseased and impoverished Santa Claus is oxymoronic on its face.

Many among the anticapitalist crowd blame the holidays for prompting people to spend beyond their means and rack up debt they can't afford. And certainly some do overspend, just as others overeat, overdrink, overmedicate, overexercise, overtan and make otherwise foolish decisions.

But it's hardly the holiday season, or commercialism in general for that matter, that forces anybody to live beyond their means. And those who fully enjoy the holidays aren't simply those who spend the most, but spend the most thoughtfully, regardless if it's on gifts for loved ones, charity for the needy or a treat for oneself.

The abundance of gifts, material abundance and innovation enjoyed over the holidays is a true testament to humanity's achievement. Regardless of what religion you might observe, the prosperous commerce that defines the season is a clear reason to celebrate.

Jonathan Hoenig is managing member at Capitalistpig Hedge Fund LLC. Hoenig doesn't hold positions in any of the stocks mentioned in this story.