Now that Christmas has come and gone, it's safe to say that most of us have left the high that we feel surrounding the holiday and are slowly seeping back into "real life." However, now is also the perfect time to reflect on whether or not we understand the true meaning of Christmas and whether or not we celebrated the holiday the right way.
Christmas has largely become consumer-based because of the idea of Santa Claus. Yes, the holiday is about giving, but to what extent? So often on the radio, you hear people talking about ways to "stay calm" over the holidays, or ways to "survive" all of the family time. Christmas is about being peaceful and spending quality time with all of your family, why do we need someone to tell us how to do so?
Presents can be given in many ways, and if Christmas were being celebrated the right way, it wouldn't involve thousands of dollars being spent on gifts. We don't need to be running here and rushing there to make up for lost shopping time. Why not spend less time shopping and spend more time baking those gingerbread cookies with your mom? I guarantee that in ten years, you'll remember that blissful moment over the hundred dollar bill your dropped on that pair of headphones for your brother that ended up breaking.
Giving can be done in several ways, not just by purchased material items. Why not make a homemade gift based off of something you saw on Pinterest, personalized for the person you're giving it to? Or why not pay to take your parents or another loved one out to dinner and give them a heartfelt card at the end? You could even ring the bell at the Salvation Army, because the gift of giving doesn't have to stop with those you love. It means even more to those who don't get as much love throughout the year.
The Christmas season is not one that should be affiliated with the world stress. It's one that should be filled with love, light, laughter, kindness, giving, and selflessness. We have the holiday itself because of our Lord Jesus Christ who gave us, selflessly, the greatest gift of all; his life. So often people get far too caught up in the commercialized aspect of Christmas and forget about the true meaning behind it.
Now that Christmas has come and gone, it is the perfect time to think about whether or not you remember the true meaning of the holiday, and maybe decide some things you'd like to do differently in the years to come.
