Posted on Christianity, Holidays

The World Got it Right

The world got it right.  Macy’s got it right.  Walmart got it right.  Cracker Barrel got it right.  Santa Claus in the middle of the mall got it right.  And christians got it wrong.

Hold me back.  Hold me back.  OK!  I can’t wait any longer!  I have to talk about it!  Here it comes!  CHRISTMAS!

What?!  I thought this girl was a christian?  Walmart got Christmas right and christians got it wrong?!

It is the beginning of November, and already Christmas has begun to creep into retailing…weeks ago.  The local attractions have pulled out their Christmas lights, rows of ornaments suck in shoppers, and you may already hear a carol at the mall.  Christmas now lasts a full two months.  It is the biggest party of the year.

(Disclaimer:  I have only ever celebrated Christmas in the United States.  BUT I have studied some of the Christmas traditions of other countries.  I do know that this is a world wide celebration.)

Being a Mommy, I chat with other Mommy friends.  Being a Christian, I chat with other Christians.  And something has begun to surface and whisper in the ears of other Christians and parents during the holiday season.  And it is this:

We only buy three gifts for each of our children for Christmas.

Santa Claus is bad.

I hate Christmas.

Christmas is stressful.

We do not buy any presents for Christmas anymore.

Christmas everywhere is annoying.

So on.  So forth.  Insert a lot more of the same here.

These things are whispered and shouted among christians.  While pagans continue on celebrating Christmas.  STOP!  Wait a minute!  What is Christmas about anyway?  Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

IT SHOULD BE A BIG DEAL!  IT SHOULD BE THE BIGGEST PARTY OF THE YEAR!  IT SHOULD TAKE UP TWO MONTHS OF CELEBRATING!  SANTA CLAUSES SHOULD BE INVENTED, AND SONGS SHOULD BE SUNG AND BLASTED IN THE MALL, THE ENTIRE WORLD SHOULD BE DECORATED IN RED AND GREEN, PRESENTS SHOULD BE BOUGHT!  THIS BABY IS SPECIAL!  HE SHOULD BE CELEBRATED!  HIS PARTY SHOULD BE A HUGE DEAL!

Christians!  Wake up!  We are talking about the birth of our God here!  We were all headed to Hell before the birth of Jesus!  He saved us!  How in the hell are we going to let nonbelievers outdo us in the partying of our Savior?!

No.  No.  No.  I am not saying to max out credit cards and spend money you don’t have.  I’m not saying that the birth of Jesus is what nonbelievers are celebrating at Christmas time.  Here is what I am saying:  CHRISTIANS (some, not all) GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE OF RULES AND HAVE A PARTY!  THE BIGGEST PARTY OF THE YEAR!

It’s official, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

72 thoughts on “The World Got it Right”

  1. I am so torn. I agree and disagree with what you’ve said and I don’t know how to parse it out. I totally agree, we as Christians, need to step it up and take ownership of Christmas. This is our holiday, our celebration. We need to stop being so negative. Stop trying to make Christmas a solemn affair. There, I agree entirely with you. Here’s where I disagree but am torn because I see what you’re saying. Starting 2 months ahead, commercializing the heck out of Christmas, making it a party about everything and anything but the birth of Jesus is a tough pill to swallow for many of us Christians. It would be like you or I having a birthday coming up and everybody celebrating it, except over time, nobody actually acknowledges it’s “Your” birthday. They have the party, but somehow, the majority of people don’t even invite you. I see where you’re coming and again, I agree with a considerable amount. We need to be happier about Christmas. We can learn to ignore the stupid parts. We can choose not to get into it. We don’t have to throw our negatives or rules in others faces just to make the point that we don’t like everyone else’s version of Christmas. Great article. Definitely made me think about it differently.

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      • I’m going to try to have a more positive attitude towards the “crazy juggernaut” that has become Christmas. Nobody wants to be around a Negative Nelly/Norbert so if I want people to attend my party, I better be the life of the party I guess. (says the socially awkward IT guy 😉

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  2. Interesting view’s here. I will add mine to it, if that’s alright. No one or nothing can make you start celebrating Christmas in October or November I don’t know how old you are, but The first week of December was the time in our home that we started to get excited. We celebrated Thanksgiving with family and friends and then anticipated the up coming holiday.
    There were six children and my parents, not much money, but plenty of love, and my Mom was a great cook and baker. We went to Midnight Mass, came home gathered around the decorated tree and sang Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus, my mom always made a birthday cake for Jesus.. I love Christmas to me it means spending time with family if possible and friends or neighbors, and making sure that no one spends it alone, share the joy. Good food, plenty of laughs, and wishing Jesus a Happy Birthday. You do not have to conform to what the big corp. say, Just dance and sing to your own music.

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    • are we sisters? ha! your past Christmases sound like mine. I am one of 8 children so there wasn’t much money but christmas was always a big deal and we also started it in december, like you. i am 33. ehhh. should i say that? i am old! i agree not to conform, my point is IT IS A BIG DEAL! I now have a seven year old daughter. Our home loves Christmas time. We also do a birthday cake for Jesus, love that idea. Happy Birthday Jesus!

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      • We should celebrate Christmas…… All year long, everyday. We are the recipients of the greatest gift ever given! Mercy and Grace…. Received through Christ leaving His heavenly throne…. To take up residence with us. EMANUEL!
        While we all strive for life eternal in Heaven, from this fallen world of eventual death. He left eternal life and His rule in Heaven to come to this world of death, to experience the weight of OUR sin……. pain, death, and being forsaken by God, so we can have eternal life in Heaven with God.

        I don’t like what the world does to minimize Christmas, but the world can’t minimize Christmas in me.

        For without it. There is no Good Friday, and no Easter!

        It is our job to share with Walmart, Macy’s and the rest…. of the world…. the Good News that Christmas really should be celebrated all year long! Christians do miss it, not all, and not you… But many do………. But
        So does the world.

        Merry Christmas!

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  4. I think Christmas would be just fine without buying a single gift. You are so right on. We have lost the true meaning of Christmas. What would Christmas be like if we just spent Christmas day reading the Christmas story in the bible and had a nice dinner with all of our family gathered around? Not gathered around a tree and a heap of presents but around a bible and each other in a true celebration! Just my thoughts.

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  5. This is such a thought provoking post. I agree – the most fun place to celebrate Christmas should surely be in the Christian community – how can it be that there is more fun elsewhere? Now some might say that the fun we see elsewhere is empty and actually quite destructive e.g. running up debt and the never successful search for something to fill the hole in our lives. But surely at church or in Christian homes where we do feel we have found the thing (the person, our Lord) who can satisfy our deepest desires, sure there, of all places, people should be finding the very greatest joy and fun at Christmas. Yes!
    I love Christmas, and Advent, and this year am starting thinking about Advent in November. It’s come about because I’m preparing some Advent events, and it’s just lovely to already be entering into this space.
    I hear the struggles of others too though, as a first generation Christian I really struggle with wanting my children to see Christ in Christmas more than their gift list (!) but in doing that I don’t want to keep them from Jesus by being too harsh and righteous.
    Very happy to have found your blog this week, I’m really enjoying your writing.
    Victoria x

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  7. Great post Caroline. This topic is always interesting to me.

    So here’s my two cents to add to the mix of opinions. I was raised Jewish by a Jewish father and a Protestant mother. My mother never converted but my parents did agree to raise their children with more of a focus on Jewish traditions, culture and religion. However….we always celebrated Christmas. Christmas was my mom’s way of including traditions from her family. Although she was not very religious, she was very spiritual and felt that family traditions were important to maintain. Christmas was about doing good to others, helping the less fortunate, volunteering and making special family memories all while celebrating a spiritual higher power. Sure Santa and gifts were involved but they were not the main reason to celebrate.

    Sadly though we were always judged for our non traditional ways. Not one religious community was accepting. It is sad that people spend so much time judging others. If we all just accepted that everyone has the right to make their own choices, we would all be better off. I am proud to say that I believe in God and raise my family with a spiritual belief system. I am also proud to celebrate both Jewish and Christian holidays and traditions.

    When I am asked what religion I follow, my answer is simple. I am spiritual, have a strong belief in God and come from a background that represents 2 of the biggest religions in the world. Surely that is enough?

    No one should conform to others beliefs. We must all find our own path. So celebrate Christmas as much or as little as you wish but whatever you do, make it your own!

    Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah to all!!
    And for those who don’t follow any celebrations, I wish you too a great December filled with many happy moments 🙂

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  8. I agree. Sometimes we Christians get so caught up in being separate from the world that we reject anything that is not one hundred percent in line with every jot and tittle of the Bible. We throw baby Jesus out with the bath water.

    Jesus stepped into our world, not to condemn it or gripe about it, but to redeem it, to show us how it’s done, how they do things in heaven. Instead of saying Santa Claus is bad, instead of banishing him from our mantels, let’s tell our children that he was good. He was a good man who gave good gifts to poor children – just like God gives good gifts to us.

    And I wish we would stop complaining about Christmas music being played on the radio too early. Would we rather hear misogynistic rap coming through our radios?

    Instead of cursing the darkness (or the grayness) let’s be like the Light of the World who stepped down into darkness (I think that should be a Christmas song) to shed some joyful light.

    Okay now I’m revved up. Maybe I’ll post about this, too.

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  9. THANK YOU!!! I love Christmas. It is a happy time of year to celebrate Jesus and rejoice in our blessings and family and friends that we love. I do not get things for my kids and Grandkids, our parents and siblings often so at Christmas I do try to spoil them. My husband and I start months ahead and get a little at a time so that we can do what we can to make it a happy time. I am glad to see one person who sees the holiday for what it is rather than complaining! and I love sending out Christmas cards as well even if postage has gone up 😉 ❤

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  10. I think I agree and disagree with you on this subject. I agree that we, as Christians, should definitely celebrate longer, louder and “lovelier” than this world. We should celebrate, shout and be merry all year long and not only during one month of the year. Yes, this should be our motto. Yes, this should be our lifestyle, not simply a Christmas song. However, I’m not sure I see all of the negativity, grumbling and complaining you see when it comes to Christians and their Christmas views on Christmas. Often, I see more complaining, whining and anger from those who do not remember the reason for the season, those who are too consumed by the busyness of the season, and those who just simply do not have the hope that you and I have. Maybe I choose to dwell only on the positive or maybe I simply choose not to surround myself with the negative; I’m not sure which end of the spectrum I may be, but I have found that we often see 2 things: (1) the very thing that is evident in our own heart or (2) what God is calling us to fix. I do believe that we, as Christians, should celebrate this season in ways that “out shine” the world; after all, this holiday is about the very King we worship! We should celebrate and allow the words of our mouth AND the actions of our hearts and lives to prove to those around us the wonderful Truth and Love that we have found!
    …I do hope you don’t mind my forthrightness here…
    Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!! 🙂

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  11. Someone was hitting the candy came stash a bit hard. Lol
    I agree that Christmas is a huge party, and my family celebrates it well. But the season does wear on a bit. I hate that people are tired of Christmas ON Christmas. I know people who take their decorations down on 12/26 because they are sick of seeing them. And that is just sad.

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  13. Your post conveys the excitement that we are starting to see around us. Sri Lanka is 88% Buddhist and yet the shops were filling up with Christmas decorations from the last week of October.
    I too originally used to feel this was all commercial hype – marketing and profit talk… but then I started thinking that in prosaic terms … they would not be marketing like this if there is no demand. The fact that our Buddhist brethren are getting all excited about Christmas from way back in October is surely cause to celebrate as you have so joyously pointed out.
    OK … so they don’t read the bible, or attend mass, or say Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus or even remember that it is his birthday we celebrate.. But they can’t but help KNOW that Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ and if everyone looks to Christmas as the most joyous time of the year … what more can we ask for? It is an unspoken acknowledgement that this is the most important celebration of the year ??
    If there is peace in man’s hearts and sheer goodwill and happiness for two months of the year JUST BECAUSE of CHRISTMAS .. then ..lets stop being ‘kill joys’ and join the fun and celebration – in moderation and with examples of sharing and caring. This message too will soon spread.
    And BTW .. I had written something last year for a journal about Christians who light up their churches only a few days before Christmas when city lights and malls and shops light up for months. I asked the question – Parsimony or Prudence? Might hunt that out and post it on my blog … you have given me a new excitement .of Christmas in my heart even before we start our spiritual preparations with Advent. .

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  16. I did not read all the comments because they were boring. I like Christmas and this will be the first Christmas alone. What I think is, if you are religious or not, Christmas is a time of Family and is that not why Jesus came? He Came to make us a part of his Family. So I agree Christmas is spelled P…A…R…T….Y!!!!

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  18. While I am not religious by any sense, I still absolutely LOVE Christmas. It’s my favorite holiday, not because of gifts or anything like that. But because it brings people, families together. It puts smiles on people’s faces that maybe don’t smile all that often. It’s a warm, good feeling and a time that you often see many give back to others who are in need. It brings everyone together and that alone is amazing.

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  19. I am so with you I can’t even get started! OH MY WORD! THANK YOU! How can we claim extravagant love and grace and JOY to the world – PEACE on earth – GOOD NEWS – then justify being STINGEY (how do you spell that?!) and grouchy and stressed?! We should be leading the charge in celebrating and anticipating and GENEROSITY and light light light! YES! Okay, I’ll stop because … well …. I’ll stop. lol

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  23. Well said, years ago we changed how we celebrated Christmas, yes we still buy presents, had Santa visit when the kids were younger, (but kept the German tradition of the Christkindt too) listen to Christmas music, and watch Christmas movies – but not too many presents that by summer things get tossed aside, we buy or make meaningful presents, we spend quaiity time together and the most important thing we so is keep Christ in Christmas. I listen to Christmas music celebrating the birth of our Lord all year long, come September and at the sight of the first fall leaf, I bring out the rest of the Christmas music. Christmas has always in been in my heart – so has Easter for that matter and everything in between that is Jesus our Lord, God’s only Son. God loved to celebrate, just look at the old testament and all the festivals He required of His people, the Jewish people. Isn’t it sad that most Christians don’t celebrate God in festivals? Truthfully that is one of many ways to worship God – in celebrations and festivals. Merry Christmas!! HO HO HO!! 😀

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  26. Thank you for your insightful “look in the mirror”. I have always gone all out for Christmas. Every room in my home is decorated and has a tree of its own. Overboard? I hope so! I believe our Heavenly Father went overboard when He sent Jesus, the most Lavish and Extravagant Gift EVER! I do see the younger generation, especially, wrestle with Christmas and all of its traditions and commercialization, particularly as they marry, have children, and create traditions of their own. I think the word for the season must be GRACE. We don’t all have to think the same. Jesus selected 12 very different men to mentor and teach. He saw the value in our differences. So you don’t have to think like I think or celebrate as I celebrate, but hopefully we can all extend the gift of Grace this season and throughout the year. Merry Christmas, Caroline!

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  27. That’s a good post. Greatly resembling a conversation I had with a friend of mine a couple of years back. As to not take part in the brash commercialism, taking focus off material goods and focus on Christ.
    In addition, that might sound harsh, but in our chat I was saying: “Celebrating Birthdays is what the pagans do (making a pagan practice) and I’ve not seen anywhere were we are to merge this practice in with anything to do with Christ. Instead, we as ‘real’ Christians, must keep Christ Jesus in focus 100% of the year without ceasing.”
    Seems to make sense as I’ve seen too many people that have nothing to do with church or God 363 days a year and only visit a church or listen anything about God only at Christmas and Easter.
    Okay, my view may be over-the-top but its just me. I have for the last 14 years refused to get on the merry-go-round of the Christmas Ritual Rush, with its month and a half, non-sincere, hypocrite style, false smiles and false greetings of cheer lukewarmness from strangers,never actually meant. Instead I treat people with honest sincerity, the Love of Christ and real caring for others year round.
    Okay, maybe I’m an outcast from the norm. And this in no ways takes way from others their wish or desire to partake in the usual ritual season called Christmas.

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  34. You have my apologies for the two failed attempts at sending you a graphic Christmas wish. This is just not my day for trying new things, so I apologize once again, and will manage to do it properly sometime before Christmas…2015. Lol.

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  36. Reblogged this on 1inawesomewonder and commented:
    I recently came across Caroline and her blog at http://beautifullifewithcancer.com/. I don’t always agree with every word she writes, but mostly I do. She has an “in your face” style, and I love it. I enjoy reading her writing and the thoughts she shares here about Christmas are one version of my own thought pattern that I couldn’t have said it better. I love Christmas every single year because of what it stands for, the real reason. Thank you for sharing this Caroline.

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  37. Caroline, I loved reading your thoughts in this post! My heart shares the same message. The world will continue to spiral out of control when it comes to Christmas, but there is hope in the fact that Jesus is more powerful than all of that! Be blessed today!

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