Christmas Under Fire
By Keenan W.
Tree on fire by Laura Frohmader from Getty Images Created in Canva
Is true Christmas dead?
Christmas started in Rome in about 336 A.D. It started as a Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. Because, even if we do not know the exact day that Jesus was born, we still set out a day in the year when we especially focus on celebrating Him. Christmas, from the origin, “mass on Christ’s day,” has been celebrated for centuries throughout generations and across continents (Hillerbrand). It is a special day set out to celebrate the birth and life of Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself on the cross and died for our sins. It’s a day to realize who Jesus was, and what He gave us, and then to pass on that gift and kindness toward others. Yet, how many people these days are really celebrating Christmas for this reason?
A survey asking 24 NSA students showed that all 24 of them celebrated Christmas and with each student being a member of some denomination of Christianity. Twenty students said that they believe Christmas is a Christian holiday. Furthermore, NSA students celebrate Christmas in a multitude of different ways. One student said, “We love Christmas. We go all out with the decorations on the inside. We do an ornament hanging thing in the kitchen window. We wrap all the picture frames in the great room and make them look like presents. We put tinsel around the slider door. We put the nativity scene above the tv. We switch out 2 pictures for a manger picture and a snowman one. We get a big fluffy tree and decorate it with green, red, and white decorations. This year and a few years ago we kids get our own fake tree to decorate how we see fit, I got to choose, and we did blue and silver.” Another student said, “I celebrate Christmas with my family by reading and studying the story of Jesus's birth each year from the book of Luke, going to special Christmas church events, visiting family, watching classic Christmas movies (like "It's a Wonderful Life"), baking cookies, and doing volunteer work.”
It is clear that a huge part of Christmas for many students is spending time with family and friends, and celebrating the holiday. Even so, 21 students agreed that they believe Christmas is becoming more secular.
Why is Christmas becoming more secular?
Well for starters, Christmas has become more and more secular as markets increased and people realize that they can make more money off of Christmas. A lot of things originated in consumerism, and the Christmas we are familiar with today is included. Consider whether recently you’ve listened to any Christmas music about Jesus. You probably haven’t and that’s because we're being sold an alternate secular vision of Christmas. Most of the things you see today such as trees, gifts, decorations, and Santa Claus is not what defines Christmas or Jesus.
As such, 14 students agreed that Christmas should be refocused on what it really stands for, a celebratory day to celebrate Jesus’ birth. True Christmas is about embodying Jesus as we’re celebrating Him. Students thus said that they plan to show the light of Christ this Christmas through “sharing the gospel and what Christmas means traditionally,” “by serving others,” and “doing volunteer work.”
Be motivated this Christmas to love and serve others and to refocus on the true meaning of Christmas.
May the spirit of Christ be with you this Christmas!
Columns: 🔎Informational 🗓️Seasonal
Keenan W. is in 12th Grade and has been with NSA since 2019. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her family after moving from South Africa. Keenan plays both the piano and the mandolin. She is also an avid reader, loves music, and enjoys watching 2000s movies. Some of her interests include psychology, criminal justice, international relations, business, leadership, and politics. She hopes to help and serve others through whatever her career may be.