I’m getting really tired of the War On Christmas…but not the one you are probably thinking about.
I was reminded once again of this War on Christmas by this blog. Here’s the thing. I’m a Christian, and I grew up in a Christian home. We celebrate Christmas totally differently from the way even my own cousins do, and they are also Christians who grew up in a Christian home.
Yet every year I am inundated with magazine articles, news stories and blog pieces about The Spirit Of Christmas, What Christmas Means and How To Celebrate The Holidays. Sam Davidson and Cool People Care have a slogan called “Christmas Is Not Your Birthday”, which is meant to tell people Christmas isn’t about them, I guess. I’m not quite clear on what it means, although I do know three people for whom Christmas is in fact, their birthdays. So I think the slogan misses the mark.
What’s my point? My point is that to me Christmas means one thing. To you it means something else. But everywhere you look in the Christian world (I can’t speak for other places) you read about how people are tired of the commercialism, etc.
Guess what? I love the commercialism of the holidays. Once Thanksgiving is over, I am thrilled to see little white lights twinkling in the garlands hung outside my local Kroger. I’m giddy when I see Town House Crackers shaped like trees and I laugh outright at the 12 packs of Coke with the polar bears on them. I love that the commercials on TV are devoted to gifts–even though I don’t want most of the things they’re trying to sell. (Diamond tennis bracelets? No, thank you.)
Yes, I know this is when we celebrate Christ’s birth. But you know what? I personally don’t think Jesus is too miffed about me being pleased with Christmas music in restaurants. The way I see it, Jesus wants me to have Joy and Peace. These things bring me joy and peace. Not in and of themselves, of course. I don’t put all my hope for peace in Panera’s holiday decorations, but I do like them.
I spend 11 months a year well aware of famine, murder, death, disease, destruction and the general decay of sin. I like having one month be about light and song and family. What’s wrong with that? Nothing, I don’t think. Nothing at all.
So, no, Christmas is not my birthday. But it does–for Christians–celebrate the entrance of light into the world. So what if I want to light up my world in honour of that? No harm done, I think.
Just Another Pretty Farce 
Hi Kat. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Christmas. I think there’s nothing wrong at all with you enjoying the holidays. In fact, I think it’s wonderful how you celebrate Christmas and that you love all of the things you do about this time of year.
The point of our campaign is to remind people that things like selfishness and greed can really change our focus of what this time of year can be about: family, giving, light, love.
We don’t ask people to not give presents or stop shopping – we just ask them to rethink what it means to give and receive this time of year.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Hope & Joy in our lives is a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas. I appears to me that our culture gives us plenty of whacks on the head all year long about how screwed up we are so why not set aside a month to enjoy the light of the world.
Indulge your senses in the sounds, sights and smells of Christmas, smile and rejoice in just being alive with friends and family. I like your attitude and maybe we need to remind people that Jesus was a party guy too. He liked weddings and provided the wine, that is the savior who’s birth I celebrate with Hope and Joy.
[…] Kat Coble has an excellent post about the “War on Christmas, ” but with an interesting twist: …to me Christmas means one thing. To you it means something else. But everywhere you look in the Christian world (I can’t speak for other places) you read about how people are tired of the commercialism, etc. […]
It’s a Pavlov’s dog reaction – we all experience it.
The good of Christmas, the receiving and giving of gifts – the family and friends reuniting and celebrating each other – they get associated with the trappings that preceed these events.
They are emotion trigger mechanisms.
It would be the same if, preceeding the celebrations of Christmas, we all went around slapping each other in the face. The slap would eventually become synonymous with the advent of the season – and folks would actually look forward to the time of slapping and being slapped.
Whether or not slapping each others faces, or fake Santas out side of Kroger are good or bad is beside the point.
btw, I love your photos of Disney World – how’d you get that effect?
Thanks for another beautiful post. You write so well even when you’re not feeling well. Of course, being part of your family, I agree with you about Christmas. I love the trappings. They give me joy and excitement because they are reminders of wonderful times in the past and they help me look forward to wonderful times approaching. I love that we can worship God for the birth of Jesus by enjoying time with family.
P.S. Go in a Hallmark just to look at all the cool ornaments if you’d like a boost of Christmas cheer! I got the one of the dog looking at a doggy vending machine. It’s soo cute!
Nicely put.
Katherine this was a great post, no doubt.
Excellently stated. Couldn’t agree with you more.
[…] have really had less than no patience with this whole War On Christmas business for the last couple of years. Over on Facebook I have […]