Another holiday season is upon us and, as a senior citizen, I find myself reflecting on Christmas and how it used to be celebrated and what we do now.
Christmas trees and decorations have been on display in stores since before Halloween.
The meaningful holiday of Thanksgiving never gets the recognition it deserves as our television networks and department stores concentrate on the material aspect of Christmas and the profits they can make.
Then, of course, there is our children and how they celebrate and recognize this special time of the year. When parents are spending so much time loading up their shopping carts with toys to be placed under the tree on Christmas morning, I always wonder if they take the same amount of time teaching their children that this holy day is not just about gifts and Santa Claus but about the birth of Jesus Christ.
Look, I’m no Scrooge. Some of the most wonderful moments of my life came from seeing my kids’ joy on Christmas morning, which has also carried over to my grandchildren.
But I think it is so important that they also know the true meaning of Christmas. There is no disputing that the reason we started celebrating this holy day centuries ago was to recall Jesus’ birth. So many people don’t see it that way anymore and I’ve always wondered why.
Church attendance continues to decline. Children, for the most part, are not growing up in homes where faith in God is very important. It doesn’t help that in most public schools across the nation there are no more Christmas shows, only holiday ones where religious themes are banned, no manger or Christmas carols with references to God or faith.
Why? Isn’t this the reason we celebrate Christmas to begin with? I recently read an article where some schools were sending cards and gifts to troops overseas. They were not allowed to send anything with religious themes.
Do you think these brave men and women, who will not be home for Christmas, could possibly be offended if they received a card from a 10-year-old child that mentioned Jesus, or the real reason we celebrate Christmas? I think not.
It would be so nice if we could remember that one of the greatest gifts of all is one you can’t buy. It comes with great benefits that can last a lifetime and should be given to every child no matter their race or creed. That gift is love and faith in God, something Santa does not bring on Christmas morning. But we can. Let’s start by putting Christ back in Christmas. It may bring more love and tolerance and less hate to us all and that is certainly needed at this very special time of the year. As the saying goes “Peace on Earth, goodwill towards men.”
Merry Christmas to all.
Larry Whitlow lives in New Hope.
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