For most, Christmas means spending time with loved ones and family. For others it may mean the birth of Christ. However, for some, Christmas may hold little to no significance at all.
Christmas is celebrated globally, and in each culture and religion, it is celebrated differently, but at the end of the day, people everywhere are connected by the holiday spirit
As we have aged, we find some things less enjoyable and have found no meaning in what we celebrate. It may start slowly as one grows out of certain things, like stuffed animals, toys, the Elf on the Shelf and the legend of Santa Claus. Sometimes it is not just the rituals that we outgrow, but the sense of innocence and pure belief that fades away, leaving us searching for a new meaning to the holiday season.
In elementary school, teachers decorate their classrooms with the joys of Christmas and the aroma of peppermint, gingerbread and anything Christmas-related, bringing toys and desserts for class and enjoying a free day while watching Christmas movies. But those sweet memories of pajama day and classroom Christmas parties have all been dulled down in a sad and unmemorable way. Those parties and activities have been replaced by the fast paced work that middle school and high school students slave away at studying hard for end-of-the-semester tests.
When has the feeling of Christmas become redundant to us? Is it the stress of our lives, the idea of lost innocence or the sense of fleeting nostalgia at an all-time high? Are we are too busy looking for this feeling that we forget the things around us?
Maybe the feeling of Christmas that we remember from being younger came from the sense of community and shared celebration we had together, and it is up to us to keep that spirit alive.
As we move through life, it is easy to let that magic of Christmas slip away from us between the responsibilities, stress and pressures of the Christmas season. Perhaps we do not need to chase the feeling we once had but to create new moments. We may not have those pajama days, Polar Express or Christmas parties anymore, but we can still find ways to connect with families and friends by showing kindness and making time for joy.
Christmas does not have to lose its meaning as we grow up. It just grows up like us, taking on new meanings and importance. While the Christmas magic may feel different now, its importance remains the same, to bring people together, to bring hope and to remind us of the importance and compassion in our lives.
Maybe with carrying even just a little of this spirit with us, we can make the holiday season a lot brighter.
