The Truth About Christmas

I know it’s Christmas because Maggie is in full decorating mode which means that our place now looks like it would be more at home at the North Pole.

I finally got the outdoor lights up and figured out how to connect them all without blowing every breaker in the circuit box. The 8’ Christmas tree we lugged into the house and wrestled into its stand is finally decorated after several trips back to the store for more lights and the Santa Claus collection is freed from its boxes. There are Jolly Old St. Nicks of varying shapes, sizes and forms all over the house (and I do mean all over the house). There are more than a hundred of the little buggers.

Presents all wrapped with pretty paper and bows are starting to appear under the tree, invitations to Christmas parties have arrived and Christmas music is being played where once was heard my classic rock and blues or Maggie's alternative rock. And all of the arrangements have been made to visit family, to attend church and to travel to visit even more family. 

Yes, this is a part of Christmas that is all too familiar for many of us but it is only the outward expression of something else that many of us feel; something more profound.

Over the past few years, there have been some who have done their best to undermine Christmas. The politically correct  and a few other mean-spirited folks here and there have tried, somewhat unsuccessfully to remove the word Christmas from this festival of joy. It isn’t the event they worry about, it’s their fear that someone, including themselves might be offended by the word.

Who could possibly be offended by a word that symbolizes joy other than those who have no joy in their hearts?

It isn’t the word they fear, it’s the religious foundation of Christmas, the fact that behind all the decorations, the presents, the Santa Claus ornaments, parades and picture with Santa at the mall, Christmas is a Christian festival and it is Christianity that offends them or they fear will offend those who aren’t Christian...or at least, that's what they tell themselves but it isn't true.

Whether you are a Christian or not, stop and think about the stupidity behind that thinking.

How is anyone possibly threatened by one faith celebrating one of their important festivals? No one is forced to celebrate Christmas, it is purely voluntary and new recruits sign up annually. Do these same over-wrought Grinches try to have the name of Ramadan removed from that important Muslim observance or do they try to have Chanukah changed to Season of Lights? Of course not.  In fact, they don’t even try to change the name of Easter and yet, to Christians, Easter is a more important celebration.

So why the focus on Christmas?

It is because Christmas breaks free of the narrow boundaries of all other religious celebrations of all faiths. It may be a Christian celebration but it refuses to be constrained by only one religion or even by all religion. It is a festival of peace, of joy; of family and good will that is embraced by people of faith and non-believers world-wide. Even wars have stopped for a day to observe Christmas.

Christmas has become too big for one faith alone to claim ownership and that is what frightens those who denigrate it. They are afraid that there may be a truth in Christmas that puts the lie to what they have chosen to believe or refused to accept. Only Christmas has this unique power to touch so many regardless of their economic circumstance, political ideology, faith or non-faith, culture, race or nationality. Christmas has broken free of all boundaries because ultimately, Christmas is a celebration of humanity.

 Yes, Christians celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas….so what!

Yes, others who are not Christians or who do not believe in God celebrate Christmas…so what!

Yes, Christmas has become too commercial for some….so what!

Yes, Christmas can be subjected to the trite and superficial….so what!

Yes some Christmas symbolism and practices are borrowed from earlier pagan religions...so what!

None of that matters because none of those things are important to anyone but those with small lives and intolerant minds. The true meaning of Christmas is found in the simple fact that for one moment every year, a good part of the world takes its collective head out of its ass and celebrates that most beautiful and precious gift we give each other.......….hope!

In the end, it is the gift of hope that is the real truth of Christmas!

The original Christmas story is based on the birth of a child in a manger, born to bring hope to the world. Millions still celebrate that birth but the modern Christmas story has expanded to mean that despite all the cynicism, unrest and violence in the world, there is still hope that there is something better in each of us that transcends all the anger, accusations, politics and stupidity that divide us throughout the rest of the year.

At Christmas, many of us actually stop for a moment and put aside all the negative things that take up so much of our energy the rest of the year. At Christmas, most of us actually do feel a level of good will that is different than anything we feel at any other time and unlike the rest of the year, we look for ways to share that feeling.

That’s really what’s behind the lights we put up to decorate our homes. We can’t see the lights glowing on our houses when we’re inside but others can as they drive by and we put up those lights to share our feeling of good will with them.

It’s the same with gifts. We give gifts to make others happy because we are reminded that giving actually makes us happier, something too many of us lose sight of during the rest of the year.

Some go to church, some don’t. Some gather with family, some don’t for various reasons. We reach out in a real and present manner to those less fortunate and who may be alone because, thanks to Christmas, we remember them again and are reminded that we should never have forgotten them. How can anyone possibly think that is a a bad thing?

The Festive Season doesn’t give us these things and neither does Seasons Greetings, Happy Holidays or all the other ridiculous euphemisms many use to try and obscure Christmas from the season. But they are failing because only Christmas offers this unswerving and unyielding message of hope. A few may be afraid of nativity pagents and displays, retail over-indulgence and talk of God but they completely miss the point. Christmas is unique because it's true message is gladly available to all with no strings attached.

Christmas is a Christian festival to many but it is also much more.  Christmas is a celebration of the best in humanity and beneath all the hoopla that has become so much a part of this season, Christmas brings out the hope in almost all of us that each of us can be a better person and through that, the world can be a better place.

I celebrate Christmas and nothing less.

I believe in Christmas because I believe that Christmas reminds us of what we can be both individually and collectively. Christmas is the hope that just maybe, we can find peace and joy and good will to share with all in our lifetime. It won't be easy, life doesn't work like that; but Christmas at least gives us the hope that it might just be possible. Nothing else gives us that same hope.

So you will understand how much I hope you each have a very Merry Christmas and that this coming year, a little part of Christmas will go with you through each and every day.

 © 2011 Maggie's Bear

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