There was a time when Protestants were the majority religion in America, when Christmas trees were put up only by minority immigrants, when Christmas was a religious affair. At first a majority of Americans did not celebrate Christmas out of fear that the holiday was too catholic. In the 3rd century C.E. what is now our beloved Santa Clause was actually a bishop named Saint Nicholas! Santa evolved into the fat jolly magical gift giving man in red due to newspaper articles and poems in American media that portrayed him as such, which deviated far from the original religious figure. Now Christmas in America has less religious overtones and has become consumed by commercialism. People become far too stressed this time of year while trying to scrounge up enough money to buy presents. Shopping lines are long and aggravating, while clocks tick away and chip away at the season. Married with the irritating chill of the winter season and the toiling to keep houses and children warm this holiday becomes an altogether preposterous strain on our attempts at cheer. As children count presents under the Chrismas tree, echoing throughout the world will be the sounds of little spoiled children saying things like, "Hey why did I get one present less than last year," and other children hesitantly inquiring, "Will Santa Clause visit our house this year?" With all this turmoil it's hard to imagine how we ever find time to focus on the real meaning of Christmas-- family. Unfortunately Christmas has become a race towards mass consumption at it's most chaotic and extreme. What would Christmas be if we did not have money for special treats and fancy china to set them on, expensive trees and ornaments and presents to set decoratively beneath? What would be left is the original intent of Christmas as it was when adopted in the Victorian era. Christmas use to be centered around the family, and for some groups still is. My Personius side of my family has worked hard to keep the Christmas spirit of family togetherness alive, but I pity those groups that undermine the importance of family during Christmas. I appreciate the festivities centered around tradition and family that occur in my Personius side of the family. It gives me a sense of belonging during Christmas and replaces the chaos of gift buying with a focus on relatives. It's a time to get to know your family members and play with the children in the family. It's a time to cook and decorate with those you love. It's a time to help the family create a sense of merriment and magic for the children who do or should believe in Santa Clause and his reindeer. It's a time of imagination and celebration, celebration of family, celebration of warmth and giving of time, and simply celebrating for the sake of celebration. I believe that Christmas transforms the season and can even transform families when the focus moves away from the material and on the transcendent aspects of merriment, wonderment, and love.
My cousin and I have been Christmas caroling all season long. Check our version of Walking in a Winter Wonder Land on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FVvMPXHYwg
