My family celebrates Christmas like "normal" people do. We buy presents, lots of them, shopping endlessly for the perfect gift (although, as Christmas Eve approaches, we lessen our standards and finally settle for something that will appearthoughtful. My mom has the grandkids over for a cookie baking party the day after Thanksgiving; the oldest do the baking, the youngest join in with the decorating. My husband and I put up our artificial tree Thanksgiving weekend; I put on the lights, the kids put on the rest of the decorations, and I straighten them when the kids aren't looking. The rest of the house is gradually decorated over the next couple of weeks. We celebrate with "my" family and go to church on Christmas Eve; we visit with "his" family on Christmas Day.
This is normal...if only in my eyes. It's taken me some time, but I've realized a few things about Christmas:
1. It's not the only winter holiday. Hanukkah and Kawanza are more than just words on a calendar for some Americans.
2. For some people who do celebrate Christmas, it isn't just a one or two day festival. For them, the holiday season may start in early December (with Advent, Conception Day, or other precursors to Christmas) and continue on into January (with Epiphany).
3. There are many reasons people do not give gifts on Christmas. Doing so may violate their religious beliefs, they may believe that the stress of gift-giving takes away the beauty of the season, they may be impoverished. Or they may just not want to give presents.
4. Not everyone who celebrates Christmas is Christian; while I am celebrating the birth of Jesus, some people are simply enjoying the company of family and friends, with no religious pretense.
Freedom of Religion vs. Freedom from Religion
As I've said, I am a Christian. This time of year, I can't help but be in awe of the beauty of the world. To think that a tiny baby born in a barn nearly 2,000 years ago gave me the miracle of eternal life! Glowing lights, the Salvation Army bellringers, the mall Santas... all of these things make me feel happy, lighter somehow, and they make me want to be nicer to people.
Go To Page: 1 2
