I am puzzled by people who believe they can celebrate Christmas without celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. I can’t help thinking how I’d feel if my family decided to celebrate my birthday while excluding me from the festivities, or if my husband informed me that the anniversary celebration of our marriage had nothing whatsoever to do with me.
Or what if people started saying that they wanted to have parades and picnics and fireworks on the 4th of July while denying that the celebration had anything to do with America winning our independence? After all, that was a long time ago. Some people don’t even really believe it was all that important, anyway; and what if people from Great Britain got offended by the implication that we won a war against them?
Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a Christian holy day. Christmas is not synonymous with Winter Holiday. There are, as people love to point out, lots of holidays in the winter. Each of the others gets to be called by its actual name and be celebrated by those of the faith that it originates with, using the symbols they find meaningful. But increasingly, Christians are being told that because others want all the trappings of Christmas without the Source of the Joy Christmas brings to the world, we must give up all symbols representing the Christ Child. But a creche is a much more accurate representation of Christmas than a Frosty Snowman or a Santa Claus.
I understand why so many people love Christmas, because Christmas centers around “peace on earth, goodwill to men.” This is what the angels proclaimed at the birth of Jesus Christ; He is the Source. Much good is done at Christmas in the Name of Jesus in honor of His birth. The hungry are fed, the poor are clothed, gifts are given to the needy, and to prisoners and their children, feasts are held and family is reunited. Many want to bask in the blessings of Christmas without acknowledging the Host, and they are not prevented. But is that any reason to hijack this Holy Day away from those who want to celebrate it for its original Reason? No other religious holiday has to contend with people trying to steal it away.
The Nativity celebrates the God of Creation becoming flesh and dwelling amongst us. Because of this great Gift, Christmas is filled with joy, hope, love and goodwill; but if you remove the Reason for all of those good things, you will be left with a hollow shell of greed, discontentment and over-indulgence. Christmas is first and foremost a religious, Christian, Holy Day. Without the birth of Jesus Christ, there simply is no Christmas.