Why Do You Celebrate Christmas?

Families, communities, and nations are stronger when parents teach the true meaning of Christmas to their children. The reason that we celebrate Christmas is because God sent His Son to earth to redeem all humankind, and the Son overcame death for everyone. Easter is the reason that we celebrate Christmas. If Jesus Christ had not been resurrected and overcome death, we would not be celebrating His birthday. He would have been just another baby born to parents who loved Him.

I believe that the whole business with Santa Clause is an important part of Christmas. I remember searching to see Santa Clause out my bedroom window as a child, and I almost convinced myself that I could see him in his sleigh being pulled by reindeer. Santa Clause was an important part of my family while my children were small, and he is an important part of the lives of my grandchildren. However, my children understood, and my grandchildren are learning the real reason that we celebrate Christmas. Wise parents will transition their children from believing in Santa Clause to believing in the Spirit of Santa or the Spirit of Christmas or the Spirit of Christ. All three spirits come from God.

The first gift of Christmas was love. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Love is the foundation of Santa Clause, the Spirit of Santa, and the Spirit of Christmas. It is important that parents teach the true reason for the Christmas season.

There is an opinion piece in The Guardian by a columnist named Polly Toynbee that should frighten every Christian parent. Toynbee considers herself to be “culturally Christian” because she is “so deeply imbued with its myths, paintings, hymns and parables.” However, she believes that we should enjoy the good cheer that comes with Christmas but understand that “it comes with religious baggage we should shed.” Here are a few paragraphs from her article. 

Here comes Christmas. It touches most rationalists as much as believers, reaching deep into the recesses of heart, childhood, memory and family bonds. I will watch A Christmas Carol every year and, whatever production, Muppets or Alastair Sim, I will always shed a tear for the prospect of human redemption. I will watch It’s a Wonderful Life for its belief in collective good at Christmas overcoming the ogres of Pottersville capitalism – never mind Clarence the angel.

In all Christmas messages, the poor inherit the earth, the stable stands for the homeless and refugees, yet the mystery is why so little of this goodwill gets beyond the tinsel into politics….

Every culture needs a mid-winter festival of light in the darkness, a rebirth in the shortest days. Much as I dislike most Christian belief, the iconography of star, stable, manger, kings and shepherds to greet a new baby is a universal emblem of humanity. In that spirit I relish singing the old carols when I get the chance….

Toynbee wants to “enjoy the good cheer” of Christmas without knowing anything about the reason that we celebrate Christmas. Wise parents will teach their children the true reason that we have Christmas season. They will teach about Baby Jesus, but they will also teach about the Resurrected Christ. They will teach that we celebrate the birth of Christ because He is the resurrected Christ who made it possible for all of us to be resurrected. Wise parents will use the Christmas story to strengthen their family as well as their community and nation.