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 "Hey, Mom, Dad, Sis--Look at those people on our lawn with picket signs! They want us to stop celebrating Christmas! Are they for real or what?" |
Christmas: Is it just a word or is it something deeper?
By AUDREY YEAGER
of TheColumnists.com
Old age, (shudder,
shudder) has at least one thing going for it this time of year:
You have a huge stockpile of Christmases to remember every evening
just before falling into a short nap in your recliner.
As it stands now, I have much clearer memories of those 30 years
ago than I do the one last December.
As time rolls on, my recollections seem to move further back
with each year. If it keeps going this way, one of these winters
I will experience vivid scenes from my very first Christmas,
at age five months, while forgetting to put the lights on the
tree THIS year.
It just goes that way in life and the longer we are allowed to
live, the more there is to forget about yesterday and to recall
about the far past. There is that wonderful thing that happens
to us oldsters. We are given the gift of remembering incidents
that happened many decades ago. My mom can still sing songs she
learned in the first grade and she was just 93 this past week!
To get a bit serious, there are some slow moving, yet relentless
machines at work to plow under some of our oldest traditions.
The trappings and scenes of Christmas, and some people’s
attitudes have changed from the times of my youth. I hate to
have to say it, but, they haven’t added anything positive
that I can see.
The greatest thing about this special day of December 25th is
that it doesn’t matter what we humans do or don’t do
about it; it will go right on being celebrated as the birth of
the Savior in the hearts of millions.
There is an astonishing phenomenon working its way through the
country right now--a movement we couldn’t have imagined
only a few short years ago. There are those who would be much
more contented if the whole Christmas thing would go away. It
seems to worry them a great deal, particularly the spiritual
aspects of the season. Even the decorated tree has become foreboding
enough to cause some to change its name to something less threatening
than “The Christmas Tree.”
I have heard it said that the more fanatical people are, the
more ridiculous they become. Maybe so. As far as that goes, there
are those who would call me a fanatic, I suppose, because I am
a Christian. My Christianity is not merely a byproduct of being
born in America and it isn’t a religion; it is a relationship
with Christ.
Not to get excited, please; my soap box is nowhere in sight.
I am not a “Bible thumper.” But how I DO cringe to
hear unbelievers explain what goes on in MY heart and mind as
a Christian. When they attempt to do so, it is so obvious they
haven’t a clue as to who we are. And, hey! I don’t
expect them to.
After some research of the different movements afoot that would
squash all references to Christmas, it almost seems silly. But,
of course it isn’t.
Perhaps the traditions could be made to disappear from the American
scene over time, but I don’t believe it would have much
spiritual impact. They might do away with the nativity scenes,
rename the town-square trees, change the words to Silent Night--as
one school already has--not allow Christmas songs at the school
pageants, let the retailers tell their sales personnel not to
greet customers with the apparently dangerous statement of “Merry
Christmas.” And it wouldn’t matter one iota to the
faith that can move mountains.
It isn’t often that I splash around in the political pond,
and actually don’t feel that I am getting my feet wet right
now. But you know what? I just had to say something about the
attacks on Christmas
No one knows the date of Christ’s birth. The 25th of December
is just the day that was decided on to celebrate what was a wondrous
day for believers. But it isn’t necessary for our faith.
Neither are Silent Night or the stable with the baby in
the hay. We can get along nicely without O’Tannenbaum,
the school programs with no reference to Christmas, the carolers,
and all the rest. Our faith and worship is based on something
immovable and unchangeable.
Still, how perilous can it be to be wished a “Merry Christmas?”
I hope I haven’t come across as strident. That is the exact
opposite of what I want to do. It is very important to me to
find some common ground between us all.
So, Merry
Christmas!
And, by the way, if someone should want to wish me a happy Hanukah
or give me another religious greeting, I would certainly not
be offended, but accept the blessing gladly.
Note: To give credit where credit is due; many of those retailers who started out the season leaving Traditional Christmas behind have done an about face…for which we thank them.
©2005 by Audrey Yeager. The illustration is from IMSI's Master Clips Collection, 1895 Francisco Blvd. E., San Rafael, CA, 94901-5506, USA. This column first posted Dec. 19, 2005.
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