I grew up in a family that attended a church of Christ. At the time I was growing up, there were many in the churches of Christ who opposed the celebration of Christmas, though I don’t remember actually hearing this teaching when I was young.
I know the arguments: The Bible never mentions Christmas. The Bible condemns the observance of special days. Jesus wasn’t born in December. The date comes from that of a pagan feast. Many of the symbols are pagan. And I’m sure there are more.
Now, it seems, the fashion is to get upset about “the war on Christmas.” If you want to be trendy, you need to complain when someone says “Happy Holidays,” cringe when someone writes “Xmas,” and howl about the need for public nativity scenes. Maybe these people aren’t the same ones that used to oppose the celebration of Christmas, but I can’t help but see some irony in the whole situation.
I like Christmas as a family holiday. I see it a lot like Thanksgiving, sort of an arbitrary season to spend time with family. I’m glad that it makes some people think of the coming of Jesus; that has to be a good thing.
I don’t think the pagan aspects hold meaning any more. Unless the Christmas tree guy was making a sacrifice to his goddess when he cut the tree, there is no connection. And throughout history, God has taken things that were once used for pagan worship and sanctified them for his people. When there was a danger of confusion, God forbade such things. If there was no danger, God took those things and made them holy.
In Argentina, the greeting is “Felices Fiestas,” pointing to both Christmas and New Year’s (and Epiphany, to some degree). For the religious, both holidays are times to honor God. For those who aren’t, both are times for selfish indulgence. Maybe my fifteen years in Argentina lessened my interest in fighting over “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays.” I’ve seen that whichever one is said, people will continue to be who they are.
The only danger I see is when Christians become hateful and negative at this time of year. Is it worth offending your neighbor by telling him not to celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday? Is it worth offending your neighbor by telling him that he has to honor Christmas as a religious holiday? Aren’t we better off living out a Christian spirit and reaching them through love?
So Happy Holidays to you. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And why not? Happy Hanukkah and Joyous Kwanzaa to you. Happy Noodle Ring Day (Dec. 11), Merry Poinsettia Day (12), Happy Cocoa Day (13), Felices Posadas (16), Sticky Maple Syrup Day and Underdog Day (17), Merry Wear A Plunger On Your Head Day (18; no, I didn’t make that up), Happy Oatmeal Muffin Day (19), Merry Games Day (20), Joyous National Flashlight Day (21), Merry Roots Day (23), Happy National Egg Nog Day (24), Happy Boxing Day and National Whiners Day (26), Joyous Visit The Zoo Day (27), and Happy Card Playing Day (28).
Interesting how different times of the year have a different feel to them. For millennia, most of the Western world has built its schedules around agriculture, with planting and harvest defining what would be done when. I would argue that now, in the United States at least, the school schedule tends to dictate things. Maybe I feel that way because I live in a town with three universities, but it seems like most of us find summer to be a logical time for vacations, and the fall has a certain sense of newness to it.