It’s not difficult to understand the literal meaning of Christmas. We know it is all about celebrating the birth of the baby Jesus, a time to honor the Christian savior. But the true meaning of Christmas is not just literal. There are many lessons to be found in this season.
For ages, books and even movies have explored the topic. Despite this, we need constant reminders to remember the meaning of Christmas in the modern age to prevent us from falling prey to selfishness and materialism during our celebrations at this time of year.
For example, the classic Dr. Seuss story and cartoon “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” displays how the Whos down in Whoville didn’t need gifts and decorations to celebrate. Although they enjoyed hosting feasts and decking the halls, when the Grinch stole all the material expressions of Christmas, the Whos still celebrated their faith with a loving song.
In the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol,” all the poor characters in the story celebrate despite their poverty, while the wealthy Scrooge has no happiness to share until he is reminded of the importance of love and faith.
Love and faith are at the heart of the true meaning of Christmas. They are not fostered by gifts or decorations. And celebrating faith has become politicized, leaving various Americans celebrating a commercial version of Christmas completely void of Jesus and God.
These modern incarnations have given birth to seasonal depression due to a lack of pure love and faith, and a focus on gifts and stuff instead. This is displayed in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” special.
Charlie Brown struggles to enjoy the season because it feels empty when commercialized. But after his best friend Linus helps him remember the story of Jesus’s birth, he decides to celebrate with a small gesture.
The Charlie Brown Christmas tree is frail, it is weak and dying. Much like our own mortality, the vulnerability of the tree is displayed when he tries to dress it up, but then his community rallies around him and rediscovers the importance of celebrating all life, even that of a sickly tree that just needs help.
The true meaning of Christmas is still everywhere. Although it may be buried at times, hidden, and misdirected, no matter how the season is dressed up it all started with a baby who was born in a stable when his family had nowhere else to go.
To understand this in the modern age, we are finding a need to enjoy simpler celebrations. We need to feel that euphoric joy that is born in a mother’s love the day a baby comes into the world. We need to remember how a father smiles at the little life he helped create when accepting his role.
Through family and love, there is a desire to get back to God. The faith of our ancestors stirs within us and says that is more important than ever to seek the happiness brought from simple phrases like, “Merry Christmas” and “God bless us everyone.”
Joy is found within when we make peace with the world and say “goodwill toward men.” And when that is done, every one of us can stand and hold hands to celebrate our love and faith, even if our presents, decorations, and our food has been stolen.
Love is the meaning of Christmas. Love of life. Love of one another. Love of peace and goodness, and mostly, love for our creator. It is spread through faith and joy and these are all gifts anyone can give no matter where they come from, what they look like, or who they are.
