Christmas culture and meaning

Christmas carols, Christmas decors—the season is in the air. Of course, it is. Right after those awful, monstrous, dark, grotesque, and gruesome Halloween decors are removed, bright green and red tinsels decorate the malls, show windows and commercial district streets. There is tremendous increase in sales for both in brick and mortar, as well as online.

For most businesses, Christmas is the most important season when they can recover and the proceeds of which would more than recover the months when their business were slow. Then, there are the lighting of Christmas trees all over the place. That is the Christmas culture you find in our country. It is festive, it is joyous, for many it is expensive, and most of all it is traditional. I would call this our Cultural Christmas.

The corporate world, of course, celebrates their Cultural Christmas with parties and revelries as early as the first week of December, and talented people from different departments start practicing and rehearsing their dance numbers for their presentation in their corporate Christmas parties. This is culture and it is practiced. It is a good time for family and friends to get together, bond and celebrate the year of working and living together. This is just a snippet of the Cultural Christmas, but we also need to understand the real message of it.

The birth of Christ is the main reason for Christmas, and is often times forgotten. Far from the fun and revelry of the occasion, the first Christmas was a very different one. It was quiet. The real merriment and joy happened when the shepherds tendering the sheep was approached by a herald announcing “Glory to the new born king!”. The humble people were happy, but the reigning leader Herod and his cohorts were not. The leaders were threatened that another king may come to take their place. It was a dangerous time during the first Christmas. Wise men traveled far and brought gifts, for the heavens announced the special occasion. It was indeed special because the Savior and King who would provide forgiveness for the sins of mankind and grant the way to have access to eternal life with God is born. And yet, far from the fun, joy, and festivities, it was in an animal stable where this King was born.

This is so far from the Cultural Christmas that we celebrate today. This Christmas is never complete until one sees and follows the complete episode of Jesus’ journey. The only man who was born with the sole purpose to die on a lonely Cross so that man’s redemption can take place and sins be forgiven, and His Resurrection from the dead proving that Jesus has conquered death, and that faith in Him would assure us of the promised eternity in life with Him.

Far from the extravagance of what Culture Christmas can offer; it would be good and healthy to focus on the celebrant. Jesus who came into the world was born in a borrowed manger. He died and was buried in a borrowed tomb. And every time I think and meditate on this, I cannot help but be moved with the message of true love that we celebrate today.

Maybe, this is also the reason why I refuse to greet people “Happy holidays”, or write down the word Christmas with an ‘X’ before ‘-mas’. The celebrant is not “unknown” (though some would argue that it is a shortcut and symbol for the cross). But things become very vague and difficult for me to understand when modern day society frowns on the word “Christ” before “CHRISTmas” because the word “Christ” is offensive to others and is not politically correct. It’s like people are saying “I want to attend the birthday party, but I do not want to acknowledge the birthday celebrant”. This is where you find the difference between what is cultural and what is meaningful. We should not allow truth to be sacrificed at the altar of culture, and truth should not be replaced by personal preference.  It is good to celebrate Christmas. A meaningful time of explaining the essence of the celebration to our family and friends. Not just a Cultural Christmas or a cultural Christianity, but to understand, know, and to have real Christianity. The traditions and the culture will always be wonderful and meaningful as long as we can celebrate its truth and its meaning.

So please allow me to greet you a “Blessed Christmas.” And not just “Happy holidays.”

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