Letter from an editor: Presents!: The real meaning of Christmas
Juliet Joly '06
Editor-in-Chief
When we were very young, our first understanding of Christmas was that of a magical time when Santa Claus, a gentle, loving, very generous, Joly old man, came through our chimneys to give us presents. We have come to find that our culture and the media tend to add to this idea that the season of Christmas - or the "holidays," as they now call it to eliminate the possibility of divisiveness the phrase "Christmas" causes – is a time of feverish present-purchasing.
As we have grown up as Christians, though, we began to realize that this cultural interpretation of Christmas seems to contradict our religion, which says that Christmas is in fact the time when Jesus Christ was born into the world, and God became flesh. This is true and is the fact which gives our lives meaning, but fortunately does NOT suggest that gift-giving and receiving is all bad at Christmas. It is only when this causes us to forget about Jesus' birthday does this become distraction. This Christmas season we CAN go out and buy many presents, while at the same time recognizing that Jesus' presence is our real present.
This requires a change or a modification of our attitude toward what we know Christmas is and how the media and our culture present Christmas and gift-giving. It would not be wrong to say that presents are a large part of Christmas. In fact, when viewed with the correct perspective, they are actually a very beautiful, and I would even venture to say the most beautiful aspect of Christmas (Jesus was a gift to us after all, right?).
The only unfortunate thing is the way our culture emphasizes finding the “right present,” advertises constantly, and essentially takes advantage of the holiday for profit. It shows little to no evidence that, in fact, united with this physical aspect of Christmas is the underlying truth that what brings meaning to each moment shopping exists, for example, in the joy that we experience when we have a gift for a friend that we think they will love.
Therefore, because of this unity, this Christmas we can face the malls, the stores, and the incessant advertisements in a different way. This takes putting what you do into perspective: do you buy presents out of necessity or as a show of affection for someone you love? Do you stress about finding the right present or are you comfortable with giving anything thoughtful, whether purchased or handmade? Do you feel there is a great disparity between how our culture paints the image of Christmas and what your Christian faith tells you is Christmas, or do you think there is a possibility to live the true Christmas spirit even while walking through the malls which seem to suppress the existence of Jesus Christ?
If you can answer the latter responses to these questions, you are well on your way to painting in the same painting, with the same medium, that which culture demands of your Christmas tradition and what your Christian tradition tells you. The ironic trick to avoid being disheartened by our society’s portrayal of Christmas is not to be deterred from participating in our culture, but rather engage in it with vitality, with the recognition that you are buying presents not out of necessity, but because you love someone; therefore, you know that there is a meaning to why you are there. If you can ask yourself “why am I shopping right now?” and be able to answer it in a way that satisfies you, than you understand that Christmas is about presents in some ways, because Jesus has to do with everything!
We tend to get so caught up in the stress of buying the right presents for our family and friends for Christmas that we forget that the idea of a present is actually very beautiful. Many semi-reasonable people actually think that our society has totally forgotten the “real meaning of Christmas” with all of the hype on sales, etc. However, what do presents really mean to you? I do not see them as a distraction from the real meaning of Christmas, but rather giving presents is a selfless way of thanking God for the gift of his Son by giving in turn to your friends and family. Receiving gifts can be beautiful too, if while you are opening one, you take a moment to really observe the hopeful anticipation in the face of the one who gave you the gift. Indeed, just their expression of pure generosity and joy provokes an element of surprise, and makes opening up their present to you completely different.
We must keep in mind when we are at the crazy, bustling malls this December that if we look at what a present really is, no matter what it is, it is a selfless expression of love, telling a friend you want their happiness. This is precisely why God gave us the "present" of Jesus. So really, God gave us the best present we could hope for at Christmas: the gift of his Son as a person, and the possibility to relate with and know God, the divine, in the same way that we do with our best friends every day.
Indeed Christmas is really about this: Christ’s birth into the world through a simple young woman, thereby giving every moment of our lives meaning, even those spent at the malls shopping for endless hours for presents. And yet even in these moments it can be clear to us, if we are open to Him, that the best Christmas "present" we can ever imagine is His Presence.
