Lead the Way: Redeeming Christmas by Rhonda Barfield

Every time I write an article about Christmas, I inevitably receive some letters denouncing the holiday. These letters often make good points. It's a fact, for instance, that certain Christmas customs have pagan origins. And it's tragically true that this holy season has, in most Western nations, evolved into nothing more than a gift-buying marathon.

But I believe that Christmas is worth redeeming. I'm convinced that Christians can shift the emphasis from materialism back to Jesus as the reason for the season.

Consider how early Christians scheduled Christmas to coincide with the ancient Romans' Saturnalia, the Feast of the Sun. Christians redeemed the holiday. They turned the pagan celebration of light's victory over darkness into Christ-Mass, honoring Jesus as the light of the world.

In the same way, I'd like to see us redeem the materialistic customs of Christmas, such as gift-giving. Wouldn't it be wonderful if opening presents was only a small part of the holiday, rather than one of the main events?

This used to be the case. During the 1800’s and earlier in America, for example, Christmas was primarily a time for feasting and going to church. Giving small gifts to children and sharing with the poor were also included in the celebration, but were considered to be secondary. Laura Ingalls Wilder, pioneer and author of the Little House on the Prairie books, writes that she and her sisters received simple presents, like a white-flour cake and a penny, in each of their stockings.

Slowly, Christmas changed. As Amy Dacyczyn notes in The Tightwad Gazette, “It wasn’t until the prosperity of the [19]50’s that more expensive gifts, such as we give today, became prevalent. . . jewelry, clothes, furniture, and liquor. This trend continues, especially with the high percentage of double-income households. We don’t have time to be thoughtful. . . instead we throw money at the problem.”

All of us have seen the results of this approach. I’ll never forget the Christmas when one of my nephews happened to receive a pile of presents. When the frenzy of package-opening ended, he whined, “Is this all there is?” Naturally, we adults— and especially my nephew's mother— were irritated by his bad attitude. Probably because we were all thinking the same thing, though we knew better than to say it.

Striking a balance between the commercial and the spiritual, especially during the holidays, is tricky business. One friend of mine has decided to forego the annual celebration of Christmas altogether; this is one way to avoid materialism! Other friends delight in planning lavish gifts as a way to express great love for their family.

How do we manage to keep gift-giving in its proper place? I think the answer is to remember, again, that Jesus is the reason for the season. In other articles (ones that prompted those letters I mentioned), I've suggested ideas on how to help keep perspective: celebrating Advent, sharing with the needy, singing and playing hymns and carols. Making thoughtful homemade presents, and keeping them simple and inexpensive. Going to activities that center on the spiritual aspects of the holiday.

It IS possible to move away from the materialism of December. If we Christians focus on the manger instead of the shopping cart, Christmas will truly be redeemed.

This article is reprinted with permission of Money Matters, a newsletter published by Crown Financial Ministries, 601 Broad Street, S.E., Gainesville, GA 30501.

About the author:
Rhonda Barfield is the author of Real-Life Homeschooling: The Stories of 21 Families Who Teach Their Children at Home, Feed Your Family for $12 a Day, and 15-Minute Cooking. For more information and/or to write or order from Rhonda,
visit www.lilacpublishing.com.