People are losing sight of meaning of Christmas

There are only three more weeks until Christmas, and I am excited. But it’s not for reasons you might think. It’s not for the presents or spending time with family or even Christmas Break.

Don’t get me wrong; all these things are nice parts of Christmas. But if you think about it, we wouldn’t even get to enjoy gifts or time with family or several weeks off from school, if it wasn’t for one thing.

And it just so happens that is what’s making me excited for Christmas.

You probably all know what I’m talking about. Celebrating the birth of Christ. It just so happens that last week I went to a show called “The Miracle of Christmas.” And it was about Jesus’ birth.

Now, I have seen quite a few Christmas pageants and have been in more than my fair share of them too. But let me tell you, this production was very moving.

For the two-and-a-half hours I was there, I felt like I was actually in Bethlehem witnessing the birth of Christ myself. I was actually moved to tears. That’s how intense it was.

I left the theater eager to celebrate His birth. In those moments, all I could think about was Jesus. No other aspect of Christmas.

Then we got to the parking lot and it seemed like everyone forgot what he or she had watched. People in their cars were using road rage, trying to make it out of the parking lot first. They would cut people off or not let others in who had been waiting forever.

My family and I found it funny how people could watch a show about the true meaning of Christmas and forget to “pass it on” so quickly in the parking lot. But they are not the only culprits of it.

The commercial side of Christmas is becoming ridiculous. All anyone seems to think about are the material things. They all get caught up in their wish list for Santa Claus or their chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

Again, I’m not trying to make it sound like these are bad things, but I sometimes can’t help but wonder if that’s all people associate with Christmas anymore.

Something else I find kind of funny is how we are so eager to get ready for Christmas and then Dec. 26 rolls around and stores are already getting ready for Valentine’s Day. Should we really set aside Jesus so quickly to make way for Cupid? I don’t think so.

It should really be the other way around. We should spend more time celebrating Christmas afterward than starting the day after Halloween.

I can sometimes be guilty of doing this, by singing Christmas songs way too early, but I also don’t stop the day right after Christmas.

I know it sounds cheesy and cliché, but we really have to start putting Christ back into Christmas. He was born for us and became the best gift we could ever receive.

Better than the latest gaming system or LCD TV. Better than money. Even better than a new car with one of those big red bows on top. So I think we at least owe Him a little praise on His birthday.

Frosty the Snowman can be built some other day.

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6 comments

Voice of Reason

Mon Dec 7 2009 19:38

Nicole, you are correct...perhaps I should have worded my comment a little differently. To be specific the Roman Catholic church invented Christmas...and yes it is a celebration of Christ. They also strategically selected 12/25 as the date for Christmas. Up to that point many cultures celebrated many different pagan holidays on that day. Most of them pertained to the equinox. Many of the traditions celebrated on Christmas actually have roots back to those pagan holidays. As a technicality I suppose you can't have Christmas without Christ. Who says everyone that celebrates on 12/25 is celebrating Christmas? The name Christmas has become so prevalent that it's hard for people to separate the name from the ideology.

I didn't need you to tell me that you don't know everything...I knew that. None of us know everything, we can only hope to become a little wiser each day and learn from each other. I may not celebrate 12/25 the way you do...or for the reasons you do but I do know a great deal about the Christian belief. I think the message of Christ as a whole is a great one.

nicole

Mon Dec 7 2009 13:17

To Voice of Reason: If Christmas were hijacked by the Catholic church I don't think they would have called it Christmas. It sounds more like they hijacked a pagan holiday, but to that I say oh well. Christmas is really an abreviated compound word: Christ and Mass, so if Christ isn't a part of it, whatever celebration takes place at this time of year is not really Christmas.

"How can we reason except from what we know?"--Alexander Pope
Thank God I don't know everything and I don't have to rely on reason.

Voice of Reason

Sun Dec 6 2009 22:11

I have to say that I find it interesting that the writer and her family would be so judgmental immediately following what she describes as such a moving experience. "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” Furthermore, although Christmas is the official name for the holiday, not everyone is celebrating “Christmas” the way you do. To some, it is about family, remembrance, and a celebration of life and love and not about Christ at all. Broad generalizations such as, “All anyone seems to think about are the material things. They all get caught up in their wish list for Santa Claus or their chestnuts roasting on an open fire”, is completely of base and unjustified. Do you have data that shows that all people are this way? This whole article reeks of Christian-centric reasoning. In fact there is serious doubt that Christ was even born anywhere near 12/25. Christmas is one of many holidays hijacked by the Roman Catholic Church. Have you ever heard of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti?

K.C.

Fri Dec 4 2009 12:56

Great comment, you are so right let us remember the true meaning of why we celebrate Chistmas.

Paul

Fri Dec 4 2009 08:09

Most people tend to look for the next big event or thing. Another thought worth pondering is that as Christians we should celebrate meaning of the birth of Christ through out the year. We should meditate on why he came and His accomplishment for us. We can take Christmas as a time we collectively come together to celebrate the event but the meaning should be celebrated all year round.

New River

Thu Dec 3 2009 23:26

I agree, totally~
Your article made me want to give a more serious thought about the upcoming Christmas.

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