why-i-celebrate-christmas

This is the time of year when the world starts looking a little brighter, and I’m not just talking about the holiday lights and sparkly ornaments. There’s more kindness. More generosity. More thinking about others. It’s almost hard to believe that anyone wouldn’t want to celebrate Christmas.

Growing up, the church I was raised in highly criticized the pagan origins of many of the holiday traditions. We never celebrated Christmas because… *spoiler alert*… nobody knows when Jesus was actually born. Mistletoe, holly, even gift giving can be traced to pre-Christian customs. December 25th was the date chosen as a way to bring together the Saturnalia-celebrating pagans and the Christians. Take the Christmas tree. There are those in history that believed they were more likely to survive a harsh winter by bringing an evergreen tree into their home. Of course we don’t even think of that symbolization today.

But who thinks of the history when they’re celebrating today? Sure, a lot of people view it as a religious holiday and celebrate by attending church services. But even in history, Christmas was, and is, a way to bring people together in a shared holiday experience.

I don’t believe in the pagan aspects any more than I believe reindeer can fly. But I do believe in family. I believe in the spirit of giving. I believe in spreading joy when and where I can. And that is why I choose to celebrate Christmas.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here