As a child, how I loved Christmas. I was one of those duped kids who really believed in Santa Claus, and I know my brothers, particularly one of them, was convinced, too. He would report hearing the hooves of Santa’s reindeer on the roof. Bleary-eyed, he would creep down the stairs, always wanting to be the first to attack the presents. This was done to the astonishment of my parents who, at some ungodly hour of the morning, had just succeeded in wrapping presents for their four children and getting them under the tree.
The anty has been upped! Think of recent events when people were trampled and some killed in the name of getting a bargain as soon as the doors of a store opened. Black Friday has become an American institution and it does seem like a very good time to get “deals.” What does the ability of merchants to make a hefty profit with discounted items say about the mark-up prices in the first place? Hmm…
Now, I am far from being a Scrooge but I love Christmas for reasons other than gift giving or receiving. I have found it a chore to buy presents for people I never or hardly ever see. I don’t know what they need or want, and writing a check seems like even more of a sacrifice and a cold gesture. Likewise, I have hung onto “gifted clothing” that is inevitably too small. So, the cute tee-shirt, the cozy robe, wait to redistributed to someone, somewhere. Unless a miracle happens, I will never fit into them. I appreciate the “thought.”
Let’s fact it. Most Americans manage to get the material goods they need or want, perhaps not immediately, if their eyes exceed the ability of their pocketbook. And, think of this: If you buy your bargains with a credit card, but have no plans to pay off that credit card within the month, you are not only mortgaging your future, you have no “bargain” at all by the time interest is added!
When I think of Christmas, I anticipate listening to uplifting music. I envision looking across snowy fields and seeing male Cardinals against the backdrop of a white landscape. I enjoy seeing Gingerbread Houses, in all their creativity, appearing on the covers of magazines in the grocery store. I look forward to hearing Bing Crosby sing “White Christmas” and seeing Jimmy Stewart in his movie, “It’s A Beautiful Life,” that has become a classic. I can’t wait to make my family’s traditional Austrian “Stollen,” a sweet bread made with yeast and loaded with candied fruit, nuts, and raisins and topped with a drizzle of frosting. It is always fun to decorate the tree and revisit other Christmas decorations, and it is enjoyable to get out the family Christmas album and visit Christmas past. None of these activities involve fighting the crowds in a heated store.
Jesus Christ was born in a lowly manger with cattle lowing and wise men seeking Him. Being God, (in my belief system) he envisioned the madness that the world would become: an insane quest for material goods and limited attention paid to being decent and kindly toward humankind. Christmas is a holiday for all to enjoy. In the past, the Jewish people were merchants and many still are. That is historical fact, not a statement steeped in prejudice. My own great grandmother was an Austrian Jew. I am mentioning the situation because Jewish merchants directly benefit from the holiday although they do not ascribe to the belief system that engenders it. Perhaps the Chinese are the ones who are really “cleaning up,” with the sale of all of their imported goods.
Wherever you are, whatever you are do, take a moment to think about your own life and consider what Christmas means to you. If you are a Christian, live up to the name. Above all, keep Christmas in your heart. There is so much to love about the holiday, once it is put into perspective, and particularly when the focus is taken off of “shopping” for lavish gifts and ones that are beyond one’s budget.
