The Meaning of Christmas (without Christ)

Jason and Evan and I are revving up for the first big visit from Santa Clause. Evan is two-and-three-quarters, and is very excited about Christmas. Virgil (the angelic dog) sits atop the tree. Paper chains and pine roping deck the halls.

There’s only one catch: I’m not Christian.

I don’t believe what Christians do. I don’t believe that an external god incarnated a son who was sent to earth and then to hell to atone for my sins. Nonetheless, I have a rich spiritual life with an internal concept of god that connects me to all things. According to many non-Christians, I should reject Christmas if I reject Christianity. I disagree.

Cultures use holidays to mark time, teach useful behaviors and values, and provide opportunities for private reflection and personal growth. America celebrates Christmas, and at my house Christmas is an important spiritual holiday — even without Christ.

At its most honorable, Christmas reaffirms our faith in abundance. Like Hannukah, Christmas provides lights in the darkness and proves that the universe is mysteriously benevolent. Santa Clause embodies generosity and dares us to believe in the unbelievable. We look inside to figure out what we *really* want (an important skill that takes a surprising amount of practice). We learn that we often get what we ask for even though sometimes we don’t.

I understand that at its worst, Christmas can be a greedy, gluttonous fiasco of purposeless consumption. We’re teaching Evan that Santa gives us presents in order to teach us to give. We light the tree to learn that darkness is beautiful. We make our Christmas list to know ourselves better and to share that knowledge with others. We do these rituals to acknowledge our connection to a magical, hopeful, kind world that’s bigger than we can know.

Merry Christmas.

About This Entry

You’re currently reading “The Meaning of Christmas (without Christ)”

Published:
12.23.04 / 11am
Filed under:
big thoughts, religion, philosophy