The religious holiday of Christmas is, first and foremost, observance of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated by Christians across the world, but in the United States and much of the Western world, it has morphed into something beyond just a religious celebration. One of the most important events in Christian history has been abused by non-religious peoples and turned into a cultural holiday rather than a religious one practiced by believers. Despite only 63% of the population identifying as members of the Christian faith, a befuddling 9 in 10 people celebrate Christmas.
The true meaning of the religious holiday has been diminished by the opportunity to gather with family and friends, exchange gifts, and for corporations to make a few billion dollars. Christians do their best to “Keep Christ in Christmas” even just for themselves, but when the woke crowd snubs out the word “Christmas” it’s even more challenging.
The Meaning of Christmas
Most Christmas traditions vary in level of significance, symbolic meaning, and length for Christian and Orthodox faiths who believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Savior. For example, the purpose of exchanging gifts comes from the three Wisemen who visited Jesus in Bethlehem and brought him gifts. For others, we exchange presents because God gave us the most divine gift; his only son, Jesus Christ.
Dwindling Number of Christians
As Leesa K. Donner previously reported for Liberty Nation, the “nones” are on the rise and the traditional Christian denominations are losing followers. As of December 14, 63% of adults in the United States self-identify as Christian. This includes Catholics, Protestants, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Orthodox Christians. These are all sects that celebrate the Christmas holiday. This number is down from 75% in 2011. A whopping 87% of the non-Christians, which includes atheists, agnostics, and “nones”, celebrate Christmas.
(Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)
There is no issue with non-believers culturally celebrating the Christmas holiday, but when the word “Christmas” becomes socially unacceptable, whilst corporations make billions every holiday season, then we have an issue. Christmas has been manipulated to fit the needs of today’s America. How could cultural appropriation apply to a religious holiday? Holly, wreaths, Christmas trees, stars, poinsettias, bells, and Saint Nicholas (Santa) are all religious symbols that have been made into Reese’s peanut butter cup shapes or decorations for shopping malls.
Perhaps, it’s a good thing for Christian symbols and holidays to be enveloped into American culture. It is a little startling that, in one month, Americans spend over $700 billion in retail, but that’s our capitalist economy at work. As soon as the clock strikes midnight on the day after Thanksgiving, stores start stocking the shelves with everything from Santa hats to tree-shaped candies, to “Advent calendars” filled with Elf-themed socks. Where we perhaps should be drawing the line, however, is putting the word “Christmas” in the politically incorrect column.
Keeping Christ out of Christmas
As wokeness spreads like wildfire through the country, Christians have become ridiculed as they fade into minority status. Starbucks dropped the word “Christmas” from their annual winter holiday cups back in 2019. Many companies are averse to using the word “Christmas” and, in conversation, it’s more socially acceptable (or so we are told) to share a “Happy Holidays” rather than a “Merry Christmas.” But who’s being offended when 90% of the population “celebrates” Christmas in one form or another?
It appears the less we reference Jesus, “Christmas”, or the religious roots of the holiday, the safer we are in a non-religious America. Next time you head to your local pharmacy, grocery store, or Target, take note of everything “Christmas-related.” What percentage of these holiday-themed goodies reference the Bible, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Three Kings, Bethlehem, or any other religious emblem?
~Read more from Keelin Ferris
