Canceling Christmas! You’ve Got to Be Kidding…NEVER!

Over the last decade or so there has been a horrific surge in the efforts to cancel Christmas. Well, not the modern-day, materialistic, gift giving, party going, bonus receiving, holiday but, the actual Christ part of Christmas.  I know it just blows my mind that there are actual people out there who think they could have any semblance of a holiday called Christmas with out any reference to the actual event that started it ALL.  We should all know the story of the birth of Jesus.  If you have never read it, please stop and go read it right now.  It will only take a minute or two. The Birth of Jesus 

Now, what if I told you that there are bits and pieces of the original Christmas story present in almost every culture in the world.  Hmm ….  How do you think that could have happened? When I taught school, I always taught Christmas Around the World.  It was one way that I could legally share the real Christmas story with my students.  During this month-long study, we would discover just how many other cultures had traditions that were similar to or the same as our traditions. It truly is amazing that our trees, garlands, wreaths, wrapping gifts and making homemade treats, all have roots tied to the very first Christmas.

If Christ had never been born, there would never have been a Christmas to begin with and none of what we call Christmas would exist.  One little tidbit that I have always enjoyed is the “Xmas”.  Many people, even Christians, think that it is an effort to remove Christ from Christmas but, in actuality, X is the Greek letter for chi which translates to Christ/Christos. There are many other elements of Christmas that have ties to the original Christmas story.  Way too many to share here.  I have read about many of them and learned even more from this podcast.  The guest speaker, Bill Federer, also has a book.  This is NOT a quick listen but I do think you will enjoy. Click this link to open the podcast.  The History of Christmas by historian Bill Federer .  

As we wind down this year and pack up the remnants of another Christmas, remember that the gift giving, decorating the trees, decking the halls, and sharing of food and treats, all have ties to the birth of our Savior.   We must never forget that original gift, the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, set forth the plan for our salvation.

I pray that 2024 finds you healthy, and that you find ways to share the love of Christ even more than before.  We have the past to guide us and learn from.  We have the future to look forward to and plan for.  We have the present because it is a gift to be cherished.  We are not promised another tomorrow.  Thank God for each new day and all the bounty there in as we welcome in 2024.