Christmas Commercialism?

How has the Christmas and holiday season been treating you so far? I believe many of us love this time of year for many reasons. We all love the presents, the family, the decorations, and of course the food! Yet I think we all tend to forget the true meaning of Christmas. We get so caught up in all of the commercialism and hype that we forget what Christmas is really all about.

Usually by the time Christmas rolls around, we are so exhausted that we can’t even fully enjoy the holiday. Then comes the time where for several days, you are in almost a vegetable state, not wanting to do anything because you are so tired. The worst thing is for those of you who have to go to work the next day or even a couple of days after Christmas. Then after New Year’s, unless you are going on vacation or have something special on the schedule, January and February drag on for what seems like years. For me personally, it usually takes the Super Bowl for me to finally get out of that “Post-Holiday” funk.

I hope I’m not depressing you with all of this. We all now it’s the truth, but the good news is that once Christmas ends, the next one is just that much closer. If I am coming off to you as saying, “What is the point to the Christmas season and the holidays anyhow?” then I apologize.

The truth is that the Christmas season is arguably the best time of the year for making memories. In fact, when children grow up and become adults themselves, some of the greatest memories of their childhood are Christmas ones. They remember the presents, the family gatherings, the decorations, and I know us guys remember the food! Some of the things that make Christmas the most fun and memorable are the icons and the hype that surrounds it all. Santa Claus is something that little kids look forward to all year, and who doesn’t put up a Christmas tree, sing Christmas carols, or bake Christmas cookies?

While none of this is the actual meaning behind Christmas, I personally feel that it is a great avenue to reaching others for Christ. For those many families in the United States and around the world who have strayed from God, many of them still celebrate Christmas. Why? The simple answer is tradition. That is what they did growing up and that is what they continue to do, although I’d wager to say that a good share of them don’t understand the true meaning of it all.

I’m going to share a brief history lesson with you, so don’t fall asleep on me now! In the early days of American colonization, some of the Puritans refused to celebrate Christmas. It wasn’t the simply choosing not to put up a Christmas tree or singing the Christmas hymns, but they skipped the holiday all together! The Puritans felt that the tradition of Christmas was a Catholic holiday that had become somewhat of a phenomenon. They believed that people got caught up in the culture of Christmas and all that came with it and forgot the true meaning of it.

As I descendant of some colonists in Massachusetts, some of which were Puritans, I will say that with no disrespect, they were both right and wrong. People had and still do get caught up in the culture of Christmas. The solution, however, was not to skip the holiday. All that did was eventually push colonists away from the faith until the First Great Awakening occurred in the mid-1700s. By that time, some German immigrants were bringing their tradition of the Christmas tree to America and along with them; some Catholic settlers were bringing over some of the hymns that had traditionally sung.

So what was the solution that needed to be reached? The best way to deal with this issue was not a direct, aggressive attack on the tradition. The idea I feel handles this in the greatest possible fashion is incorporating the people’s culture into the faith, as long as God remains at the center of all of it. Personally, I do not think it matters how you worship God as long as it is done from a Biblical perspective.

Eventually these incorporation of the different ways of celebrating Christmas and worshiping God developed into our modern day Christianity and Christmas season. Are we still too commercial? Absolutely, however, we need to take some of this commercialism and use it to our advantage.

Every other year, since 1997 my church puts on a fantastic presentation of the story of Christmas, called Journey to Bethlehem. Over three thousand people from our community attend this event every time it is presented. In fact, last year we used social media, the newspaper, flyers, and banners to spread the word about this event. I think the opportunities are tremendous and there is no limit to how many people can be reached through such settings.

For those of us who are already Christians, the issue becomes what to do with the traditions of Christmas that do not feature Christ. While Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, and Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer are all fun and loveable, none of them died on the Cross for our sins. Not one of them rose from the dead, and not one of them is coming back to rein on this earth for a thousand years before establishing a new Heaven and a new Earth. The bottom line is that through all of the holiday fun and excitement, keeping Christ at the center of all of it is of utmost importance.

This does not require that much thought or effort, and every person or family should use their judgment on this. There is not necessary a right or wrong way or keeping Christ at the center. Here’s a few simple ideas for you: put a star/angel on your tree and remember the meaning of it; take a candy cane and explain to your kids what it means (the upside-down “J” shape, the red standing for the blood of Christ, and the white standing for being cleansed by the Holy Spirit); attend a Christmas service at your local church or read the story of Christmas with your family by the tree or fireplace. You don’t have to go out and purchase a nativity scene for your yard or even find a live presentation of the story of Christmas (although either of these would enhance your Christmas season). I’ll leave you with this parting Bible verse that I think is the top thing we need to remember:

Luke 2:11 (KJV):
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

That is what happened on the first Christmas. No matter how you celebrate the holiday, remember that this is why you are celebrating.