I know that I recently resolved to not let the weight of society dilute the joy of the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany seasons upon us, and it's not. But something still needs to be said, however, in defense of just that: the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany seasons.
Of course, for society, it is largely Christmas, with the other two all blurred into one. And of course it begins December 1 or thereabouts, and ends December 25, which shows a lot of ignorance toward the actual season of Christmas (which actually runs December 25-Jan 5), along with the other two. But also for society, people largely avoid using the "C" word (Christmas), for the bland, vaguely celebratory, largely non-descript "Happy Holidays." As a kid, I recall it being used on occasion, and as society has pushed back more and more against the religious nature of Christmas, it has become mainstream.
Recently, however, I was somewhat surprised to find that there are pastors who advocate using that bland, vanilla greeting if and when a person's religious views are unknown. I could not disagree more. In fact, the more I pondered it, the closer I came to breaking my resolve on keeping the joy in the Advent-Christmas cycle! Quite simply, there is nothing at all - NOTHING - that should diminish or cover the Christian's celebration AND pronouncements of the Christmas season. As the angel said, "it is good news of great joy..." And honestly, those who would be offended by the word Christmas, quite simply need to be offended. I look at it this way: in a society that has largely purged the religious nature of the holiday itself (and it is a religious holiday - without Christ there is absolutely NO Christmas), hearing the words "Merry Christmas" could be the only exposure a person gets to the good news of Christ. Without that, there is nothing to celebrate. Considering part of my job is to make Christ known, I will do so whenever and wherever I can, which includes pointing to "Jesus as the reason for the season." When someone wishes me "happy holidays," I answer right back, "and a very merry Christmas to you!"
There are a lot of theories about how the "date" of Christmas came about. Based on the information from the Bible itself, it is likely more springtime or summer, based on the shepherds in the fields by night. Some have claimed that the date was set to counter the pagan "winter solstice." Others claim that the pagans co-opted a celebration from the Christian date of Christmas. The history of Christmas is wild and varied. In fact, for the first few centuries, the church didn't even observe it. Regardless of it's origins, it is a date set aside to commemorate the birth of the Messiah, or the Christ (hence the name itself, Christ-Mass). It is equally true that the "traditions" of Christmas have developed over the centuries as well. Things we assume as "tradition" may not have been so for as long as we think. Take the Christmas tree, for example: It is generally assumed that it's origins go back to Martin Luther, the German reformer in the 16th century. That means that the Christmas tree has only been a symbol of the season for approximately 1/4 of the time that Christians have had opportunity to celebrate it! There are those who would also claim the use of greens as a part of those origins that would date back to even the time before Christ. Or take "jolly old St. Nick:" A real saint and friend of children but also a very religious figure. (see this older entry on St. Nicholas). The modern day "Santa Claus" is really a product of mid-20th century Coca Cola advertising, and has been morphed into much that doesn't fit the original icon - that of St. Nicholas. But sadly, one other such "modern tradition" is the purging of Christ himself from Christmas in today's society.
That's an absolute travesty. No Christ? No Christmas. Period. The non-religious need to hear about Christ more than ever, considering that the numbers of those claiming no particular religious affiliation is growing, placing them largely in the category of either agnostic or atheist. To remove Christ from Christmas is to eradicate the holiday itself. And for me, to eradicate Christ would not make for a very happy holiday. In fact, it would destroy the holiday and this time of year, no matter that this is not the likely time of year for the birth of the Messiah. So that said, for us and for our household, we say "Merry Christmas." No. Matter. What. If you don't like it you had better have a good reason. And if you have a good reason, it likely will not be good enough to change the habit here. And if you have a good reason, you'd better also be prepared to hear my reasons for why you can't have Christmas without Christ. So sorry, you pagans and non-religious types. You can celebrate many things on your own, but don't you dare - you who don't believe in Christ - celebrate the day in which we commemorate his birth, that is, unless you actually want to believe. And if you want to believe, you can join us or any church to learn more about the reasons why it is important that we say "Merry Christmas."
