Christmas is a holiday that has a variety of meanings to different people. There are three big parts of Christmas that really summarize all aspects of the holiday: the religious aspect, the Santa aspect, and the spirit of the holiday itself.
But what does it all mean?
Religious Aspect:
On one hand, (and the most important hand) Christmas is first and foremost a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. We all know this story. Mary and Joseph having to leave Nazareth, staying in an stable in Bethlehem because there was no room in the inn, the birth of Jesus Christ, the star of David, the three Wise Men and the angel, and thus was born the nativity.
There are so many parts of this holiday that depict the religious undertones of Christmas such as the Nativity: the songs that we sing like "Joy to the World" and "We Three Kings," and even candy canes, which were originally created in the shape of a shepherd’s staff and given out to children after observing the Nativity in church.
This was the original story of Christmas. However, there’s another version that contributes just as much to the way we celebrate Christmas.
Santa Claus Aspect:
On the other hand, Christmas depicts the story of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was a very rich man who was known to give gifts to those in need. He placed them in stockings that were left outside to dry. This story was elaborated in 1823 with the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas’"which became "The Night Before Christmas" and started many of the beliefs surrounding this holiday. That poem created a fat, jolly man named Santa Claus who delivered gifts by jumping down chimneys and leaving presents in stockings and under Christmas trees, with the assistance of eight reindeer.
Known by many names, Kris Kringle, Santa Claus, Father Christmas, and Old St. Nick have inspired an entirely different kind of Christmas that adds to the fun of the holiday, but recently has been commercialized to a degree that drives people nuts.
The Spirit of the Holiday Aspect:
The Spirit of Christmas simply means the feelings and actions that go along with the holiday. Traditions are one example of this. I asked several people about their families’ Christmas traditions, and these are some fun ways people celebrate Christmas!
My roommate is Italian, and her family makes the feast of seven fish on Christmas Eve. This is a fun Italian tradition that started because they can’t eat regular meat on Christmas Eve, so they cook seven different types of fish and quite literally have a feast on Christmas Eve.
On of my friend’s dads cooks shrimp Creole on Christmas Eve and has a bunch of people over before midnight mass.
Two of my other friends have the tradition of their parents giving them new ornaments every year so they can have enough for their own trees one day.
In my family, my mom makes cinnamon roasted pecans every Christmas to give away as gifts, and thankfully makes enough so I can have the leftovers! They are delicious!
Traditions are one aspect of the spirit of Christmas, but the more important part is the concept of giving. Whether this means giving your things or giving your time, Christmas is a season of giving.
And I think that’s the point, right? Giving. The first story began with the greatest gift of all. God gave us Jesus. He gave us his son to take away our sins. That was the first gift of Christmas. Slowly, others such as St. Nicholas began the tradition of giving to others. He helped those in need. Santa brings gifts to children all over the world. Finally, people have learned to give to one another. For one season every year, people stop acting selfish, they help each other, they give their time to volunteer, they give their money to causes other than themselves, and they give items to people they love in order to be kind.
It’s no coincidence that Christmas falls right before the new year. Christmas is a time of remembering what’s truly important, and you carry that sentiment into the new year. The meaning of Christmas, I think, is to give to one another; give kindness, give patience, give honesty, give respect, give integrity, give loyalty, give yourself.
I think Christmas is a reminder of how we are supposed to act the other 364 days a year.
