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Christian's View on Christmas

    So, I planned to start this a year ago, and I did not get around to it. This all started with my article on what a Christian should or could think, based on what I saw in Scripture, related to Halloween. I would love to take time and break down every holiday over the next few years or so, depending on how often I find free time to sit down and write about a topic that interests me. 

    This is the time of year where people begin talking about Christmas. While I firmly hold to the value of Thanksgiving being the focus for the WHOLE month of November, I cannot deny that if it snows before Thanksgiving, the snow is associated with the Christmas spirit in most commercialized American viewpoints. I am seriously bothered by how commercialized almost every "American" holiday is. But that is a conversation for another time. Or, maybe for later here, we will see. :P 

    The Christmas season, which begins on November 1st, Black Friday, or December 1st depending on who you ask, is a holiday season that is popular by most people in America. It is a time for warmth, for spending time with family and friends, for gifts (and supposedly giving), and for remembering something bigger than ourselves. Christmas is one of two holidays were a large percentage of Americans walk into a church building (60% compared to the weekly attenders that is closer to 20% according to some sources). Because of the name (Christ-mas) and the social ideology of attending church twice a year, the concept of Christmas being recognized as Jesus's birthday is commonly received. However, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Diwali, Yule, and the Winter Solice are celebrated by many around the country at around this same time. 

    This mixing of holidays, social understanding of this being a "Christian" holiday, but also desire to include all peoples created common phrases such as "Happy Holidays" or "Merry X-mas" instead of assuming that the hearer of the greeting is a Christian. Obviously, as a Christian, these phrases are less welcoming than the preferred alternative. What I think all need to recognize is that we all have the freedom of speech- someone saying "Happy Holidays" is not trying to hurt the hearer in most cases. But which is also a conversation for another time, we cannot always concern ourselves with the opinions and feelings of others. Those are not the priority. 

    There was a book that sat in the house every Christmas that I looked forward to reading. This book, "The Stories behind the Great Traditions of Christmas" covers traditions that take place around Christmas time- their roots, their meanings, and what they represent today compared to what they may have represented when they were first used or popularized. This book covers topics such as Christmas trees and Candy Canes. These stories always fascinated me to read about but helped me to learn more about what traditions I was okay with supporting and what traditions I did not wish to carry on. These have to be personal convictions- personal choices that each individual or family commits to making. It is okay (and in fact encouraged) to research before coming to a conclusion. 

    The most important information I can share about the Christmas season, above all else, is this: Christmas' main goal for a believer should be the celebration of the birth of our Savior. While this small act might seem so insignificant, it was the first step in a 33-year journey of God showing His people His love by living with them. His ultimate act of sacrifice, His gift to us, was His death on the cross. He, the sinless God in the flesh, was the ONLY ONE who could make that sacrifice- and He did so willingly. Nothing else can compare to that. No holiday meal, no amazing deserts, no wonderful present, no family memories, no warm fire, no time with friends can give us the same joy and eternal satisfaction as His gift to us. Jesus, God in the flesh, gave up His freedom as Spirit to be confined to the daily struggles and pains we humans face, so that He could show us just how much He loved us. That is the true meaning of Christmas- nothing else!  

Fun fact: No where in Scripture does it say that Jesus was born on December 25th. The book that I referenced above actually explains the roots of the day that Christmas takes place on- and it is darker than you may think if you don't already know. 

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