Real Meaning of Christmas
One multi-million dollar corporation was devising some special seasonal products to attract buyers to its store. The reporter’s tone — and I supposed I was meant to feel the same way — was one of deep concern for the businesses and their loss of money.
The irony of the whole situation hit me a little while later. At a time when we usually complain about how businesses have made Christmas a commercial enterprise, we are all being asked to feel sorry for those same businesses because they can’t make it commercial enough this year. I understand that these days we are all concerned about the effects of the economy: many people are losing jobs and businesses are losing money, some will not make it through at all. It is a sad time, and we are all concerned about each other.
However, I cannot muster up enough concern to be saddened that there will not be a long line for the latest “tickle me” doll at the local toy store, or that all those stuffed Santa bears will be left without a home on Christmas morning. Perhaps I am callous and I should watch Rudolph continuously until I can empathize with the toys banished to the Island of Misfit Toys. But, right now, I can only rejoice that it will be more difficult this year for the commercial world to get its stranglehold on this holy day. I am happy that I won’t be hearing about the billionth copy of the latest video game being sold at Blockbuster. I am even happy that for many children, there may be fewer toys under the tree this year. Go ahead, call me Grinch, I just can’t help it.
And speaking of the Grinch, the whole scenario reminds me of the old cartoon How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Whos in Whoville enjoyed all the material trappings of their celebration, and the Grinch mistakenly thought he could stop the joy if he took away the things that seemed to cause it — the presents, the decorations, the feast. But, that Christmas morning, the Who’s sang their traditional song with just as much joy as ever. Of course, the ultimate meaning of Christmas ended up being some vague sense of community, but that is the subject of another essay. The fact remains, when the material side of their holiday was taken away, they did not lose the meaning of the celebration.
Due to the economy, our new house, the recent addition to the family and many other factors, my husband and I will have little left over in our budget for nice Christmas gifts for each other or anyone else this year. We keep reminding each other that these first Christmases will be sparse. It calls to mind those few childhood Christmases when Dad had to warn us that we wouldn’t get a lot that particular year. I can still recall the struggle in my young heart — sure I was disappointed, but I knew deep down that it was the wrong feeling to have. I knew that I should be able to focus on the real meaning of Christmas.
Wouldn’t it be great if we all woke up on Christmas morning, our kids especially, and didn’t even look under the tree, but went straight to the crib set to see the baby Jesus there. And then, with true excitement and anticipation, got ourselves ready for Christmas Mass. Wouldn’t it be great if we spent the day enjoying the company of our family and friends, and spontaneously recalled of the joy of Mary and Joseph as they held their newborn child.
“It's Mine, Mine, All Mine”
Yes, it would be nice, but perhaps it is unrealistic. The fact is we are not all as detached from our material things as those Who’s in Whoville. However, that should not stop us from seeking this detachment. In fact, we have the perfect opportunity to learn detachment this year. There is no doubt that the atrocity of the terrorist attacks of September 11 has left many without spouses, parents, children, and friends. And that the subsequent economic upheaval has left many unemployed or that the upcoming war has left many fearing for loved ones. Yet, God has raised up heroes the likes of which our children have never seen. He has turned hearts toward him and away from sin in all its forms. As always, God has taken something evil and turned it into good. And now, He gives us all the opportunity to rediscover the true meaning of this virtually lost holiday.
This year, the economy is affording us the perfect chance to focus our hearts, and those of our children, on the true meaning of Christmas. For many of us, our budgets will not allow us to fulfill even some of the desires of our children’s hearts. Nor can we easily spend the usual amounts when so many around us are suffering financially, emotionally, and physically. This may be the year that your children hear the speech that many of us can recall hearing as children: “There won’t be much under the Christmas tree this year kids. Money is tight.”
For some of us, our children may have heard this line already in their short lives. However, even the poorest of children are affected by the “gimmie more” philosophy pouring out of their radios, TV’s and even their friend’s mouths. This could be the perfect opportunity, with help from the economy, to make some radical changes to our family Christmas traditions.
Make it Different
Perhaps this is the year we move the gift giving to the feast of St. Nicholas on December 6th and leave Christmas day to focus on the gift of the Incarnation in the world. Or, maybe we could move gift giving to the feast of Epiphany, when the three kings brought gifts to the Christ-child. If we did that we could take advantage of those after Christmas sales and get the “tickle me” doll for half price!
If we leave the gift giving for Christmas day, then maybe we can make a greater effort this year to focus on the giving. We can help our children remember that we give gifts on Christmas day in imitation of God the Father who gave the most precious gift of His Son. When God sent His only beloved Son, He gave us a piece of Himself. If we are to imitate Him in our Christmas giving, we too should give a piece of ourselves. For some families that could mean that gifts are not store bought, but hand made. Or it might mean we give what a person needs, rather than what they want and don’t need. Maybe giving a piece of ourselves can mean taking one of our Christmas presents and giving it to the poor.
Whatever the case, the difficulties arising from the economic conditions of this time in history are an opportunity to refocus our hearts and minds. Christmas Present can be radically different from Christmas Past, and transform Christmas Future. This way, maybe when the economy gets back on its feet we won’t have as much reason to complain about how Christmas has been commercialized. Maybe our children will be cured of the “gimmies” and on Christmas morning they will not run straight to the tree to check the size of the boxes with their name on it. Maybe they will run straight to the crib to see the Christ-child resting in the straw. And then they will all join hands and sing Silent Night in perfect harmony.
Okay, maybe the singing is a bit too much to expect. But perhaps parents can hope to avoid the over-indulged, over-stimulated, cranky children we so often see on Christmas night. And the January bills won’t be so overwhelming that we have to skip tithing for three months.
Will this Christmas be different for your family?
(Carol Kennedy is a Catholic writer with an MA in Theology and Catechesis from Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is the former DRE for the Spiritus Sanctus Academies in Ann Arbor, MI. Carol writes from Northern California where she lives with her husband and infant daughter. You can read more of her writings at www.carolscomments.com)
