The True Meaning Of Christmas

Every year in December, we hear a lot about the "true" meaning of Christmas. We've all heard it so many times that we instantly know what they are talking about.... that Christmas, as the birthday of Jesus Christ, is really a solemn, sacred event, and we are wrong to observe it as a fun time to hold year-end merchandise sales, exchange gifts and get drunk at office parties.

But, if one really digs into the origin of observing December 25 as "Christmas", you will find it is not quite so simple. A boistrous celebration was staged throughout Europe, near the time of the winter solstice, for centuries. It was often such a wild celebration that, at one time, Christians in England were forbidden to observe the holiday

In the fourth century, the early church, which was more powerful than any government, (even powerful enough to ban the teaching of Galileo's marvelous discoveries) rather arbitrarily chose this period to represent the birth of Christ. In truth, no one knows when Christ was born - or even where he was born, for that matter. The early records from his followers, mention shepherds tending their flocks... grazing is hardly a winter activity.

In the case of Galileo's teaching, there eventualy accumulated such a body of evidence supporting the truth of his discoveries, the church was forced to choose between looking like a bunch of fools for denying him, or to agree that Galileo was right. As the world's early experts of "spin", they then proclaimed that Galileo's discoveries were further proof of God's existence.

Well, things have also changed regarding the meaning of Christmas. (Although the church never backed off its designation as Christ's birthday). This date remains an absolutely wonderful event that brightens and warms the short days and long nights in the cold and dreary month of December, turning it into the most joyous time of the year. How many people have been rescued from winter weather induced depression by some small act of love and caring at Christmas time?

I was a child during the great depression. During most of the 1930s, my father was employed and supported our family of seven on a flat $25. a week. During December my sisters and I were filled with great anticipation of wondrous things to come. The little box of hard candy we were given at our country school. The Christmas tree we decorated with home-made ornaments. The lights that decorated city streets. And, of course, the overwhelming joy we all experienced on Christmas morning when we opened our gifts.

Today, as adults, we experience much of the same joy as we share happiness with our friends and with our grandchildren and other family members. And, indeed, Christmas is celebrated around the world by many who do not consider themselves Christians.

Surely that is the true meaning of Christmas.

And, surely I can wish you a "Merry Christmas" without concern for being politically correct, or a failure to understand the true meaning of what I have said.