What is Christmas?
As a kid, Christmas is the most magical time of year; you get the opportunity to see relatives you don’t usually see, you have lots of awesome new toys to show off to your friends, and it’s the one day of the year where nothing sad seems possible. No matter what nothing in the world is more exciting and uplifting than running down to the tree and tearing open each and every gift from St. Nick. As an adult, Christmas is still a very important and magical time of year for me, but now that I’m older and wiser the question that pops up more and more each year is: what is Christmas? No matter who you ask, somebody always has a different opinion on what Christmas means to them; from the joy of loving your fellow man to the roasted whatever-your-family-eats during the Christmas feast. Recently I think I’ve really narrowed down what Christmas is and it’s a lot simpler than most people try to make it. It’s not about Santa, the gift-giving, the holiday songs, the gingerbread lattes at Starbucks; it’s not even about Christianity. Yes, the holiday does stem from the birth of Jesus and the hope he is able to bring to the world, but most people highlight the wrong part of that statement. Christmas is about the hope you give to other people; it’s about the happiness you provide in their daily lives.
It’s about truly realizing what it means to be close to someone in any way; the feeling you get around them and the feeling they get around you is the emotional magic that drives the season. Being around those you care about and love in a time of year that is regularly bleak due to its frigid weather, early sunsets and general discomfort. When you wake up on Christmas or Christmas Eve, you truly begin to feel the magic and start to get excited no matter what age you are. Although the idea that you’ll own some cool stuff by the end of the day might seem enticing, in fact it’s generally mistaken for the happiness and thoughts flowing through your body at that given moment. You’re really excited about spending a day with those you care about and with those that care about you; it never ceases to be exciting, whether you’re a little kid or an old man. No matter what religion or background you’re from, there’s still something exciting about this time of year that you can never put your finger on. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, odds are you know someone who does and can relate to them in some way.
Christmas is about more than a significant religious event; yes, I believe that Jesus Christ was born in a manger thousands of years ago and was showered with gifts, but that’s not what I celebrate. What I celebrate is a universal feeling, an emotion that keeps humanity going from the day we feast on Thanksgiving to the day we relax with our loved ones on Christmas. If you do celebrate it for the religious aspects or not, you’re still celebrating a feeling that makes you satisfied or happy, which really means more in the grand scheme of things. Whether you’re a member of the Catholic/Christian faith or not, we should all still be willing to come together and celebrate such an amazing time of year; this may not be the word “Christmas” to some other people. No matter what the celebration or the customs, people are still celebrating a time of year that is warm in their hearts and allows them to unite with their loved ones.
In the end, Christmas is not as much about the birth of a prophet or about getting cool gifts but more about unity and love than anything else. It’s about caring and loving those around even in dire times; whether restrictive to the family or the community/nation they’re a part of. As of right now, there is a lot of conflict brewing throughout America; let’s all try to remember that this is the time of year where we love and respect our neighbor. Celebrating under one religion or one belief is just as noble as believing under another; the beliefs don’t matter in the end, the unity and kinship does. This Christmas, don’t look at the world’s problems and swipe them under the rug because you’re happy; try to go out of your way to make someone else happy. No, that doesn’t mean saving the world in one fell swoop but it does mean to care and give to your friends and family. Whether it is two red solo cups taped together with a smiley face or bamboo plant, the meaning is the same. Gift giving is only as meaningful as you’re willing to be. Remember at the end of the day, Christmas is about love and kindness more than anything else; Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Joyous Kwanzaa, and a Happy New Year.
