Spirit of Christmas

Occassionally, a friend’s stream of consciousness technique in blogging creates a gem of a post. Larry Bernard’s done it this time – with a post regarding the religious nature of Christmas.

I know my father and stepmother are largely secular (albeit with a heavy dose of meditation), and my mother never forced a specific Christian denomination on us, but my family always celebrated Christmas, even after the last of us stopped going to church on a weekly basis.

Why? It’s the thought that counts. The spirit of the holidays matters more to me than what any religious connotation or origin it may have. Especially considering that the root of Christmas is a pagan harvest holiday that the early Catholic church used to celebrate Jesus’ birthday to help bring in new converts. We all shouldn’t have to dwell on the exact birth of Jesus Christ, or any of the events happening thereafter to understand the moral and ethical importance of the Christian themes presented during this holiday.

Giving, caring, and spending time with loved ones – those are universal values across the globe. Americans celebrate it – and all the gift-buying frenzies that go with it – as part of Christmas, but frankly, a lot of secular individuals celebrate it to specifically for those values.

So, let’s start the countdown to Christmas, everbody!