(Wreaths are one of my favorite decorations, and they include lights and candles, so much the better.)
Christmas is a very complicated thing I think. We celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmas but everybody agrees that he was not born on Christmas. What is up with that?
(One of our several Nativity Scenes, we are keeping all of them!)
Then the whole Nativity Scene thing. We’ve seen it a zillion times. You know, the baby Jesus, Mary Joseph, the various critters, shepherds, and the three Wise Men. It makes a great scene but that is not the way it happened. Not according to my Bible at least. My Bible doesn’t specify the number of Wise Men and it doesn’t say that they appeared at a manger. They appeared at a house and worshipped a young boy, not a baby.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to be snide or act superior. I’m a Christian and I love nativity scenes, we have more than one and I believe in the virgin Birth and that Christ is my savior. I’m not trying to change the way you celebrate Christmas. My point is that Christmas is more than a religious holiday.
(Christmas trees on the Riverparks. I love’em.)
What else is Christmas? Lets see, lots of decorations, Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolf , concerts, holidays, egg nog, hot chocolate!! Oh yes, I love all that also.
(Brian Setzer Orchestra. Wow, what a Christmas show. My first ever rockabilly Christmas.)
And don’t forget gifts. It is fun to give gifts and it is fun to receive them.
(Logan’s first Christmas. I love those little arms and legs and big smiles)
Nothing like watching a baby or a young one enjoy Christmas. Nothing like watching a loved one open up a special present you got just for him or her. Hey, and I won’t lie, I love receiving presents. I really do. I freely admit it. Do I feel bad for those who are not as blessed as me and my family? Yes, I feel horrible about it. What do I do about it? Not much I’m afraid, Angle Tree gifts and some money in various pots and kettles and such. We can all do much better I think.
I like the little things about Christmas like the ranch owner who made a wreath out of rope, spray paint, and a bow and put it on a fence out in the middle of nowhere. I just love things like this. It is a gift to me and others from somebody. We don’t know each other but they gave us something out of the blue.
(Warehouse district in Oklahoma City)
I watch secular Christmas movies like Home Alone and others where they talk the “The Spirit of Christmas.” That always confuses me, what is the Spirit of Christmas. Maybe it is grace. Being kind to each other, even total strangers, in small acts and large. I think it is at the very roots of Christianity. I think though that Christmas has enough room in it for others besides Christians. It better, for there is a lot going on at Christmas that doesn’t have anything to do with Christianity.
So, what do you think the Spirit of Christmas is about?
I think it is about having holidays and visiting family!
Your photos are lovely! The light are much fun.
So many December traditions involve lights, in many faiths.
Cheers from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!
What a great, fun post for the day!! I love Christmas because I have a chance to see my children and be with them — not always easy when your family is scattered all over the country! This will be a good year with at least two of the four here!! Have a beautiful day!!
All the festive decorations are pretty. But, I’m just not feeling it.
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
Logan’s 1st Christmas picture is a priceless treasure. Now that’s what Christmas is all about, feeling that special love for our children, we give them our all and it’s nothing to do with a store 🙂
The meaning of Christmas for me would fill a book but right now I’d just say that Christmas is Love for the human race, in the hopes that one day we’ll all get along and accept each other no matter what faith we believe in.
This is a great post. I remember going to a museum exhibition of creches at the Knights of Columbus headquarters in New Haven, CT, many years ago. They had creches from all over the world, and each one was a unique interpretation of the moment heaven and earth came together in the form of a child. The uniqueness came from the place and the culture. The strangest was an Italian creche in which the holy family was next to impossible to find, and nobody else was present. So like life. I think I get what you are saying. Merry Christmas.
The picture of Logan’s first Christmas says it all for me. That’s what it’s all about. And yes I wish everyone could have that joyful feeling …. I hear what you’re saying.
As I’ve said before, you and I have waaaay too many things in common. Our view of Christmas is very similar. I LOVE “Home Alone”, and, as you know, Christmas music plays a huge role in my celebration of the holiday. I do think that the “Spirit of Christmas” is that attitude of giving, kindness, grace, and love that people try to adopt during this season, regardless of their religious beliefs.
Since most of mankind seems to like the condensed version of any story, we’ve taken many of the highlights of Christs childhood and compressed them into a single winter night. Still, I think it’s the celebration of the Savior’s birth that is most important. We will have plenty of time for the details one of these days. Merry Christmas to you and yours.