Santa wasn't one of the three wise men

"Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year - and yet, for all that, when it speaks, its voice has strong authority."

 ~ W.J. Cameron 

The boys and I got all the Christmas decorations out tonight.  I sort of had to, because my next door neighbor, whom I love, is Jewish, and she has a tree up, and outdoor lights, and I was feeling a little bit left out.

My husband jokes that she's double-dipping, but we both say more power to her.

Some may see it as another example of the de-Christ-ing of Christmas, but I think it's great that so many non-Christians celebrate on December 25th.  When I was a child I joyously celebrated Jesus' birthday, and was thrilled that for some reason, I was the one getting all the presents.  As I grew older my belief system changed, and now I see Christmas as a day to celebrate family, tiny white lights, friends near and far, a food-laden table, and the silent arrival of a snow-covered winter.

Why be upset that non-Christians celebrate this day?  They, too, can bring tidings of joy.  Think of it as a continuum.  On the left side you have the Grinch.  On the right side you have little Cindy Lou Who.  Throughout the year all the people on this continuum are going about their daily business in their own flawed, human way.  Then on one day, they all shift - maybe a little, maybe a lot, toward the right.  They shift toward a generous spirit, the close bond of family, love and cheer.  They donate coats, food, and toys; they write cards and letters to people they haven't seen in years; they think about what someone else might like.  They give.  Who wouldn't welcome that as an acceptable meaning of Christmas?

If you really, really want Christmas to be about the birth of Jesus, you'd need to change a lot of things about December 25th.  First, you'd need to change it to sometime in September, when most biblical historians believe Jesus was really born (shephards don't shephard in December).  Second, you'd need to turn the gift-giving around and give only to the poor and to those living in homeless shelters (today's manger).  Third, you'd probably need to remove Santa from the scene.  He was not one of the three wise men and he has nothing to do with Jesus.  Your kids are going to be pissed, but there you have it.  No reindeer, either.  Same for the tree.  No tree for Jesus.  And for Pete's sake, let's get rid of that creepy elf.

I don't see a lot of people celebrating Jesus' birth that way, though.  I see them in the toy aisles at Target, buying Fraser Pines for the living room, and sending their kids' letters to Santa.  They're angry that we've taken the Christ out of Christmas, without giving much thought to how much non-Christ stuff they themselves are cramming into Christmas.

Christmas has become bigger than a birthday.  It started out as a Roman pagan holiday to celebrate Saturnalia, and then was co-opted by Christians to more easily convert the masses.  It has evolved and changed over the years, but at its heart it is the same: it is about welcoming family, expressing love through the exchange of gifts, helping those less fortunate, and sharing a meal together.  Sure, the kids are shooting themselves with BB guns and your cousin Kevin just knocked down the 14-foot Christmas tree, but there is nothing, nothing at all, like the anticipation and magic leading up to Christmas.  Everyone deserves to feel and take part in that if they so choose.  The birthday boy would want it that way.

 

Comments

[Sabre]

Very well said!

[Keely]

Love this post Marie. :)