The consumption of toys was a tool for constructing and maintaining the domestic ideal; this process was exemplified by the Christmas market, which held a central role in the social production and reproduction of middle-class ideology. In its modern version, Christmas had not only been transformed from a much more communal festival into a family affair emphasising children and an idealised vision of intimate domesticity, but also a much more commercialised affair. As the institution of the family was forced in retreat from the impersonal technocratic modern society, it desperately engaged in gift-giving behaviour as a bonding mechanism. Through decorating the home, family celebrations, and gift-giving, a heavy burden was placed on Christmas, which emphasised the growing significance of the child. Toys became central to these family rituals.
