Many, including Mary Samuelson, say that Christmas has become purely commercial to the majority of the American public, and thus has lost its true meaning–a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. In the place of Christian rejoicing is toy marketing as parents rush–and often trample each other–to buy their children the latest, “coolest”, rarest toy or gadget.
Although many Christians DO still use Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ, I do not deny that Santa Claus, reindeer, and Christmas trees are not at all related to religion. Christmas has become secular to most. To that I say, so what?
A few days ago, I found myself wondering why I love the Christmas season so much, as an agnostic individual. It is not pure selfish want for material possessions, for I find myself enjoying the Christmas SEASON more than Christmas Day itself. Finally I realized that, cliche as it may sound, there is a Christmas spirit. Friends show their appreciation for one another WITH gifts. This is not greed because typically there is an exchange of gifts that are similar in value. Rather, gift giving is a show of affection and appreciation that is often unique to the holiday season. Relatives that have not been in each other’s presence perhaps since the previous Christmas reunite. Whether this is a joyful occasion or not depends on the family, but every year I anticipate the gathering of my extended family on Christmas Eve.
In an otherwise chaotic world, the Christmas season gives a glimmer of hope in humanity–everyone is a little nicer to each other, and why say no to that?
Caitlyn Landry, CAS’06
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