Ho-ho-ho! Today is the 25th of January, and that means it’s…CHRISTMAS!!! The most wonderful time of the year! HOORAY!
Phil Spector produced the best Christmas music ever recorded...I don't care if he's a nutjob
Christmas is celebrated on December 25th of every year and commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, the savior in Christian faiths. Religiously, it is a time of remembrance and a time of holy reverence. According to the story, Jesus was born on December 25th to a virgin woman, Mary, and her husband, Joseph, in a manger in Bethlehem. The exact date is historically debatable, but the 25th was established by the 4th century and has held on since then (it’s interesting that this date is also shared with Pagan holidays and the Roman winter solstice...but that's as close to that can of worms as I will come).
For me, however, Christmas was never really about Jesus. Yes, I went to midnight mass a few times growing up, and yes, I understood what we were celebrating when set up the Nativity scene in my parent’s living room. I knew what the little drummer boy was drumming on and on about, and I knew why the three wise men had made such a long journey. I understood how special Jesus was, and why celebrating a man who wanted to spread peace and brotherhood to the world was important.
But even as a little kid, the connection between Jesus and Christmas was never of the utmost of importance. Santa Claus was the real hero of Christmas for me, and I feel this was the same for many children and is still true today. Jesus stood for humanity and eternal salvation, and while that’s all well and good, these are hard concepts for an 8 year old to grasp. A guy that flies around the world and gives out presents if you’re good…now that’s a concept that I could get behind.
As my family moved away from church, this line began to blur even farther, until for me, it vanished completely. Now, as I’ve stated in previous blogs, I’m not a believer. And maybe that makes me a God-less heathen and I'm taking advantage of celebrating Christmas without truly understanding it's message. But I feel like I get the underlying message just fine, and I don’t think that my beliefs lessen the impact that Christmas has had and continues to have on my life.
I feel that the argument that without Christ, there is no “Christmas,” is invalid. Christmas doesn’t mean anything less to me than what it once did. In fact, I think it means more to me now than it did when I still believed in Jesus and his dad and all of that. Because for me, Christmas is about family and it's about friends. It's about the people you choose to spend your time with, and as I get older I realize that this time is more and more precious. It's about joy and love and compassion. It’s the time of the year where it is really okay to smile and be happy, if only for a day. It’s one of the few times that I get to see my family each year, and that makes the day special for me and it makes me cherish it all the more.
As I've gotten older, the giving of gifts has taken the limelight over the receiving of gifts. I LOVE finding presents for people, and I get the biggest kick out of watching someone enjoy what I've wrapped for them. So, to commemorate this part of the holiday, I got gifts for each of my co-workers...
A surprised Ms. Galbraith on Christmas morning...
And who am I kidding...I like getting presents just as much...thanks Lukas!
I have also been been listening to Christmas music all day, which I feel should be allowed at any time of the year. I wanted to include so many songs in this post, from The Waitresses "Christmas Wrapping" to Run-D.M.C.'s "Christmas in Hollis." I wanted to post The Slade's "Merry Christmas Everybody," and Otis Redding's version of "White Christmas." I wanted to post every Christmas song recorded by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Darlene Love. I could go on and on (as I've said, I fully support a Constitutional amendment that allows year-round Christmas music playing), but I had to pick just one more. And while this might be a totally obvious thing to do, what the hell, it's my blog, damn it...
All kidding or blasphemy aside, I truly feel that the spirit of Christmas is one that has transcended any sort of religious beliefs for me. It crosses cultural boundaries, and it hopefully shows us that there is good in all of us, if we're willing to take the time and put in the effort to look.
It's easy to do this through the haze of eggnog and champagne. It's quite harder to do it during the middle of January. But maybe if we all try hard enough, it'll be a little easier for all of us. Because if Scrooge can understand that one should honor Christmas, and try to keep it in their heart all year, then why can't the rest of us?
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