A Doubtful Christmas is a story about the value of hard work. Read this enjoyable, true story and answer the following question: Have we lost the true meaning of Christmas? Choose a side and argue it.
Awww! What a heartwarming tale to read while curled up in a cuddly blanket by a crackling fire on a snowy, winter day.
I honestly do not think we have lost the true value of Christmas. Sure, society and advertisers may have twisted the meaning of the holidays to reflect more on the material side of life, such as presents, but maybe their thinking is not totally off-kilter.
Of course many of us are familiar with the phrase, "It's the thought that counts." This obviously holds true in the short story we read for this blog. The family was dirt poor, yet, the mother found a way to provide presents for her children on Christmas Day. You see, the above phrase was invented for Christmas. It gets us thinking about other people, and not ourselves. The mother in the story made the extra effort to hand-make toys for her children, but if it wasn't for the holiday of Christmas, would she have ever made them? Would the narrator of the story really recognize and appreciate all of his mother's hard work if he hadn't observed her and received a direct gift from her? Maybe not as many people work as hard as this mother to make or buy Christmas presents, but they still make the effort to purchase them and give them.
Some people may complain that today's world makes Christmas out to be a grand present event. Presents! Presents! Presents! Sure, on the receiving end of it, it seems selfish. The giving side of it, however, is a different aspect. Christmas has always been an opportunity to think about others, perhaps the largest opportunity of the year. Instead of seeing the advertisements as downfalls of society around the holidays, we should seem them as positive encouragement. They encourage people to buy products (to benefit themselves, of course), and give them to other people as gifts.
Many people don't make the toys for under the Christmas tree by hand, like the mother in the story did, but they still work or do something to obtain the money to purchase Christmas presents. I know I feel wonderful when I use the money I earn from work to buy gifts for other people. It is a priceless feeling to watch someone open your gift and observe his or her face light up in delight. It is also a great sensation to know that I am mimicking (on a much smaller scale) the actions of God.
Of course the true meaning of Christmas, in my opinion, is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. He is the gift from God to all of the world, to grant us our salvation through his death. The best gift of all time! Nothing could ever surpass this present. I believe that we give on gifts and treats on Christmas, because that is what God gave to us through the birth of His son - the ultimate present. We are simply commemorating God's wonderful work and giving by working and giving ourselves on this special day. The mother in the story is a classic example of this working and giving. There is another common phrase, "The best compliment is imitation." We are simply imitating God's giving (on a much smaller scale of course) through our own giving. We are showing love for others as He does for us.
Yes, the true meaning of Christmas still exists today, 2000 years later.
I really enjoyed your blog. I like the positive light that you shed on the view of Christmas. I did not think of the idea of giving showing the generousness of people and that relating to Christ. I also really enjoyed the story. Nice blog Rachel.
Rachel, I like your blog. I actually argued that the true meaning of Christmas still exists today. One thing that I did mention in my blog is the media, however. In your blog you said that people believe that others are making it all about the presents, and how it is selfish on the receiving end. One thing that I mentioned was that the media puts an emphasis on more is more. I sometimes think of Dudley Dursley, though it was his birthday. He was mad because he only had 36 presents because he had 37 the year before. I think that there are people like that, but not all of them. Just food for thought. Other than that, though, I agree with your blog. The true meaning of Christmas above all else is celebrating Jesus. The true meaning definitely still exists. Nice job, Rachel.
You had a good blog even though we have different interpretations of the story. I said that we lost the true meaning of Christ as and you said you can still see it today. Your blog had some really valid points that are correct. Especially the part about the selfish receiving, I saw where you were going. Nice job!
I did think this was an enjoyable story to read. Being an only mother with five children would be very hard, and to have no money while trying to educate them, feed them, and please them would not be very easy.
This story demonstrates the true meaning of Christmas. Here is a mom who dedicates her entire life to her five children. She has nothing, and spends every second of every day tried to fulfill their needs and wants. When she figured out what to do as a means of finding Christmas presents, she knew at she would have to dedicate even more time to her children.
This is the true meaning of Christmas. Children get gifts out of the love of their parents. While this mother had to do something she had probably never done before out of love for her family, that is making toys out of wood, modern day parents internet shop, and buy things with the click of a button or just picking something up from a store. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, because it is not. The resources are provided to parents, and you cannot blame them for not making you some wooden toy, because we would not appreciate that in a modern day society, because we could be getting better things. Who would want a wooden toy when there's iPods out there? I mean c'mon, it's obvious. Anyways, this mother did not have the resources provided to her. She couldn't just click a button and presents would appear on her front porch step. She had to work to show her children that she loved them.
So the true meaning of Christmas is giving to and sacrificing for your loved ones. And today, we take it for granted. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm a last minute shopper. I don't think about getting somebody something until the final seconds. Heck, I have to buy a gift for my older cousin and my sister, as well as for my parents, god parents, and grandparents. I always don't put any thought into it, which is destroying the true meaning of Christmas. But I take it for granted, because we can get away with it. The resources we are provided with make Christmas too easy to take for granted. The woman in the story sacrificed time, dedication, hard work, SLEEP, everything to make sure her children felt loved.
If I would have left out the whole Jesus part I would have been sorry for a bad grade, but I had to do it sometime or another. The real true meaning of Christmas is celebrating Jesus' birthday. God selflessly gave his only son to us, and Jesus, who is God, sacrificed himself for us. He could have lived in heaven forever but came down to earth, went through the passion, and died a slow, gut wrenching, horrifying death. So much sacrifice was given into Jesus' life that we would not have Christmas without it. God loved us so much that he gave his only son. Most human take Christmas love for granted, in my opinion.
So in conclusion, (I hate to be a Debbie-Downer, but) I think that most people did lose the true meaning of Christmas, only because society has influenced us by giving us convenient resources. All most people think about deep down inside is what they will be getting and don't like to spend money on others. Love is essential in making a Christmas worth it. So yep, there's my spiel for the day. Merry one and a half weeks until Christmas!
Nice blog! I also really enjoyed the story. I think that it would have been difficult to provide for all those people without any money. I think that your paragraph about why the true meaning of Christmas is lost was very good. I also liked the personal examples. Nice blog.
Your blogs always leaving me laughing in the end. Haha! I like your interpretation of the story, and I respect the fact that you acknowledged that the mother put in a lot of time and effort to make Christmas a special occasion for her children. I agree with you that we do not put that much time into gifts nowadays, but I disagree with you that most people lose the true meaning of Christmas. I am like you, a last minute shopper, but I still put the time and effort into finding a suitable gift for a family member or friend. I think a lot of people do still. And I also think that many people believe that the true meaning is Jesus' birth, as well. I laughed out loud when you mentioned that you 'would be hurting for a bad grade' if you didn't mention Jesus. Oh, Matt! That was hysterically funny! And your explanation of it was very deep, as well! Great work, Matt! I enjoyed our blog!
Each year, right after Thanksgiving, the discussion of whether Christmas has lost its meaning or not starts. This discussion usually features two sides: those show believe that it has not lost its meaning and those who do believe it has. The story that was associated with this blog really encompasses the true meaning of Christmas. The day of Christmas is obviously the birthday of Christ. This is the backbone of everything that Christmas is. Without Christ the day would not exist. The idea of presents really is explained in this story. Most of us are fortunate enough to have presents given to us with not much thought. There is never any worry of whether or not we will receive presents on Christmas. This story shows the sacrifice that some people face just to make their kids happy. This sacrifice that is made shows the face of Christ in their actions. This is how presents can relate to Christmas.
I personally believe that the true meaning of Christmas is becoming less and less prominent. Although I do not think that it is gone, I do think that people keep Christ at the forefront of Christmas. I recently heard a homily at mass where the priest said that a store that he went to would not permit their employees to say “Merry Christmas” to their customers; rather they had to say “Happy Holidays.” This seemingly small change has large repercussions. By saying happy holidays, people are refusing to mention the name of Christ. This action takes away the true meaning of Christmas. People also are so consumed with buying presents that they forget why they are doing it. There are many people who are injured each Black Friday as a result of people being so obsessed with getting the best, cheapest presents. Overall, the true meaning of Christmas is fading away.
Short and sweet! But to the point. I like it. I wholeheartedly agree with you that Christ's birth is the "backbone" of Christmas. I believe many people still believe that today. It is a shame, however, that some employees are not allowed to say, "Merry Christmas." I don't know, but I think that I would still say "Merry Christmas" even if I was told not to. It may seem silly, but would someone really fire me for saying "Merry Christmas"? If so, that is just stupid. Anyway, I enjoy how you discuss "sacrifice" in your blog. It's true. Our parents sacrifice so much just to make Christmas a special time for their children. I wish I would have written about that in my own blog! Darn it! Oh well! Haha! I enjoyed your blog. It really got me thinking! Good job, Kraus!
Kraus, Your blog, though short, perfectly sums up the true meaning of Christmas. Our parents really sacrifice a lot for us so that we can have everything that we want. It is amazing how much they give for us. I also think that you are right in saying that Christ is the true reason for Christmas. He gave us everything. His is the ultimate sacrifice. The store not allowing people to say Merry Christmas. What crap is that? People say that you can no longer say it because it offends other religions, but I think it is more offensive to not say it. Ben Stein is a very famous man and he is also Jewish. He came forward saying that Merry Christmas is not offensive to the Jews. He says it. I think that people are over thinking everything. I think you did a really nice job, Kraus.
I also totally agree that the backbone for Christmas is Christ. Without Christ we probably wouldn't even have anything like Christmas and even if we did I wonder what we would call it...? Well it's a good thing that we don't have to worry about that. As for the employees not being able to say Merry Christmas, I think that it is absolutely ridiculous. I would probably say it anyways. Well great job!!
Let's start off saying, and this probably is not correct blogging terminology, but you are a baller. The backbone of Christmas is Christ. Oh yeah! The part about the employees and the Happy Holidays is so true. I mean the whole thing just changes around the meaning of Christmas. You nailed that part. Anyways I would write more, but it's kind of annoying with my cousin persisting that I go play guitar with him. So I'm going to stop for now. You know what you did right. Good job, keep it up.
Have we lost the true meaning of Christmas? The cynical part of me wants to say yes, people have absolutely lost the true meaning of Christmas. The optimistic Christmas loving side of me wants to say no, we haven’t. For this blog I am going with my optimistic self.
I want to start by saying, though, that people who have lost the true meaning of Christmas are only half at fault. The media emphasizes that more is more around the holidays. They make it seem like everyone has to buy the most gifts and spend the most money to make others happy. The gift recipients don’t really help either. I feel like we all know that one person that gets a gift on Christmas that isn’t good enough. Instead of being thankful that someone through the effort to get them a present, they are rude and ungrateful. This, however, is enough about those Debbie Downers. It is time to talk about why Christmas is still such a good thing.
What is the true meaning of Christmas? I think a lot of people ask themselves that question. Well, to me the true meaning of Christmas is a two part deal. I think that the first part above all is celebrating God. Jesus Christ came to Earth on this beautiful day to save us all. I think that the absolute most important part of Christmas is to celebrate his coming. If it were not for God, we would never exist. If Jesus had not died for us, people would be condemned. I think it is necessary to celebrate and honor him during this time. The second part of this definition is giving. I don’t mean giving in the whole buying expensive presents sense either. I mean giving of one self. I think it is important to take time during the Christmas season to do something for others. It is a beautiful way, not only to make someone’s day, to worship God and live in his image.
No argument is complete without citing examples either, so here we go.
The first example that I want to use is Project Gifts for Elk County. We have all seen the wonderful work that they do when we were down there to wrap the presents. It is amazing what they do. I am going to give you another perspective to look at, though. I have been down there when they pass out the presents. Those people are amazing. They interact with the kids, they spend hours during a day to give out those presents, and they brighten people’s days, and that is only the first table. All of those people that pass out presents are just as amazing. They talk to the kids about what they like to do. They are just doing everything that they can to ensure that everyone has a good Christmas. The look on the parents’ faces says that they succeed. Those people are so grateful for the fact that someone is willing to help them, and make sure that their child is going to have more presents on Christmas. On top of that they get to see Santa. Those people are trying to spread Christmas spirit to those who may have lost it. The whole experience is so heart warming. I am glad to be a part of it.
Another example is George Parody. Some of you may have heard about what he did and some of you might not have. He gave $20,000 to help pay down people’s layaways. It started when a woman was trying to figure out how to pay her layaway balance. He paid it for her. He also paid half of the balance on layaways that were over $200. He, as a wealthy man, could have easily ignored those poor people. He, however, chose to do an act of God like service and help those people. If that isn’t keeping the true spirit of Christmas alive in your heart, then I don’t know what is.
I think that the true meaning of Christmas isn’t as lost as people think it is. I am hopeful that humanity really understands what the day is about.
I love your examples, I especially love the one about Project Gifts for Elk County. I am so glad that we as a senior class were able to help such a good cause. I think that Christmas brings out the best in people. It is just that time of the year where people seem to be more generous and selfless. I agree that the true meaning of Christmas isn't lost, it just may be hard to see every now and then but it is always there. Great job!!!
Anyways, I loved your blog too! This makes me so excited for Christmas. You wrote beautifully on the coming of God and about giving. Giving of oneself and giving a gift can be synonymous activities but they don't have to be. I loved your Project Gifts for Kids example. Just wrapping the gifts was such a fun activity and I felt so good knowing that some child was gonna get to tear open that paper in frenzied excitement. I hope you had fun helping out. I'm sure it was wonderful! Nice job, Megan!
This was truly a heartwarming story to read before the holidays begin. It is amazing that a single mother of five boys was able to provide for them even though they were every poor. She not only provided food for the nous but she gave them a bright future by making them go to school and to church. She was so selfless and truly gave everything she had for her children.
After reading this story that portrays the true meaning of Christmas I believe that we have not lost the true meaning of Christmas. Even though the media pushes harder and harder every year to emphasize the gifts, the true menacing of Christmas is still there. We just have to push away all of the media. It is obviously really nice to receive gifts on Christmas, but the giving is my favorite part. I love watching the whole gift giving process go down especially with my family. However the most interesting part of the exchange that I like to watch is the person who is giving the gift. Clearly the person receiving the gift is going to be excited and quite honestly I have all day to look at what everyone got.
My favorite part is watching the face of the person giving the gift. This is because their expressions are absolutely priceless and they only last for a few seconds. At first while the present is being opened suspense is mixed with happiness on the giving person's face, then as soon the gift is open and the person who received the gift smiles or gasps, the suspense is replaced with sheer joy. Watching this exchange never gets old in our family, everything is always a surprise. This is something that I look forward to every Christmas.
However the true meaning of Christmas is Jesus. There is something truly special about Christmas, it doesn't matter which one you go to they are all equally special in there own ways. I have been to all of the different Christmas masses in our parish mainly because of serving. The music is always on dog the biggest highlights of Mass for me. The whole Mass just seems happier, lighter and brighter. This is why I think that we haven't lost the true meaning of Christmas. The media can push as hard as it wants for the gifts, but I don't think that we will ever lost the true meaning of Christmas.
Your blog was so sweet. I'm so happy to see so many optimistic posts about Christmas. I agree with you entirely, I love giving gifts and watching people's excitement while giving a gift is absolutely priceless. That fact that people still feel such joy upon giving the perfect gift to someone they love, I feel, is proof that Christmas spirit is not all lost. We still find joy in being selfless, and that I what the season is all about. Your blog was a good example of using personal experiences well. Nice job.
That was so adorable. Such a nice read on this beautifully snowy December day.
But the story speaks for itself. When asked if we, as a society, have lost the true meaning of Christmas the proof is in the context of the tale. As easy as it is to argue that we have, indeed, lost the pure "Christmas Spirit," let's not get cynical. We have not.
There are people who have lost the true sense of the holidays for certain. Advertisements commercialize the event and sometimes deter from the spiritual aspect of the holiday, however, at the end of the day, where do people spend the holidays? With family.
Christmas, despite the increased attention given to material possessions, is still a family holiday. Who are we buying for? Our family. Who do we spend the evening exchanging gifts with? Our family. Jesus is the reason for the season. We all know that. But part of celebrating him and glorifying God is recognizing the components in our life which are holy, and wonderful, and good. Family and loved ones. This is still the time of year where families load into the car to drive hours to grandma's house. People still hop on planes to see loved ones. The idea of spending Christmas alone has never sounded appealing, and that's because a celebration as glorious as this should not be spent dwelling in solitude, so people still gather together to enjoy this sacred day.
Those who get caught up in the "hustle and bustle" of the season often don't find themselves very fulfilled with the joy that is to be associated with the time. For how many cranky people we may encounter during our holiday shopping, we will see just as many kind holiday acts being preformed. We hear the ringing bells of the Salvation Army. We see trucks full of toys for less fortunate children or presents piled under the Angel Tree. These are solely Christmas sightings and they exemplify the ways of Christ in every way possible. It's too easy to focus on the bad traits of people. The cruelty of the world is overbearing enough. But cynicism rarely gets people closer to our ultimate goal, that of which is heaven, because to seek out negativity in others is to demean every human's sacred position as a child of God.
I love Christmas. It is my absolute favorite time of year. I spent the night last night with people that I love, snuggled up in my living room, watching "Christmas Vacation." And you know what? It was wonderful. That is why I could not possibly sit here and argue that we have lost what Christmas is all about, because regardless of every corrupt component of the holiday, it still brings people together. It makes people happy, if they choose to let it do so. And simple things, like watching a movie with family, or dropping a couple bucks into the Salvation Army bucket, that make us genuinely happy, we can be certain are in accordance with the way of The Lord, because the only way to achieve true happiness is through Him.
Awww! What a heartwarming tale to read while curled up in a cuddly blanket by a crackling fire on a snowy, winter day.
ReplyDeleteI honestly do not think we have lost the true value of Christmas. Sure, society and advertisers may have twisted the meaning of the holidays to reflect more on the material side of life, such as presents, but maybe their thinking is not totally off-kilter.
Of course many of us are familiar with the phrase, "It's the thought that counts." This obviously holds true in the short story we read for this blog. The family was dirt poor, yet, the mother found a way to provide presents for her children on Christmas Day. You see, the above phrase was invented for Christmas. It gets us thinking about other people, and not ourselves. The mother in the story made the extra effort to hand-make toys for her children, but if it wasn't for the holiday of Christmas, would she have ever made them? Would the narrator of the story really recognize and appreciate all of his mother's hard work if he hadn't observed her and received a direct gift from her? Maybe not as many people work as hard as this mother to make or buy Christmas presents, but they still make the effort to purchase them and give them.
Some people may complain that today's world makes Christmas out to be a grand present event. Presents! Presents! Presents! Sure, on the receiving end of it, it seems selfish. The giving side of it, however, is a different aspect. Christmas has always been an opportunity to think about others, perhaps the largest opportunity of the year. Instead of seeing the advertisements as downfalls of society around the holidays, we should seem them as positive encouragement. They encourage people to buy products (to benefit themselves, of course), and give them to other people as gifts.
Many people don't make the toys for under the Christmas tree by hand, like the mother in the story did, but they still work or do something to obtain the money to purchase Christmas presents. I know I feel wonderful when I use the money I earn from work to buy gifts for other people. It is a priceless feeling to watch someone open your gift and observe his or her face light up in delight. It is also a great sensation to know that I am mimicking (on a much smaller scale) the actions of God.
Of course the true meaning of Christmas, in my opinion, is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. He is the gift from God to all of the world, to grant us our salvation through his death. The best gift of all time! Nothing could ever surpass this present. I believe that we give on gifts and treats on Christmas, because that is what God gave to us through the birth of His son - the ultimate present. We are simply commemorating God's wonderful work and giving by working and giving ourselves on this special day. The mother in the story is a classic example of this working and giving. There is another common phrase, "The best compliment is imitation." We are simply imitating God's giving (on a much smaller scale of course) through our own giving. We are showing love for others as He does for us.
Yes, the true meaning of Christmas still exists today, 2000 years later.
Rachel,
DeleteI really enjoyed your blog. I like the positive light that you shed on the view of Christmas. I did not think of the idea of giving showing the generousness of people and that relating to Christ. I also really enjoyed the story. Nice blog Rachel.
Rachel,
DeleteI like your blog. I actually argued that the true meaning of Christmas still exists today. One thing that I did mention in my blog is the media, however. In your blog you said that people believe that others are making it all about the presents, and how it is selfish on the receiving end. One thing that I mentioned was that the media puts an emphasis on more is more. I sometimes think of Dudley Dursley, though it was his birthday. He was mad because he only had 36 presents because he had 37 the year before. I think that there are people like that, but not all of them. Just food for thought. Other than that, though, I agree with your blog. The true meaning of Christmas above all else is celebrating Jesus. The true meaning definitely still exists. Nice job, Rachel.
Rachel,
DeleteYou had a good blog even though we have different interpretations of the story. I said that we lost the true meaning of Christ as and you said you can still see it today. Your blog had some really valid points that are correct. Especially the part about the selfish receiving, I saw where you were going. Nice job!
I did think this was an enjoyable story to read. Being an only mother with five children would be very hard, and to have no money while trying to educate them, feed them, and please them would not be very easy.
ReplyDeleteThis story demonstrates the true meaning of Christmas. Here is a mom who dedicates her entire life to her five children. She has nothing, and spends every second of every day tried to fulfill their needs and wants. When she figured out what to do as a means of finding Christmas presents, she knew at she would have to dedicate even more time to her children.
This is the true meaning of Christmas. Children get gifts out of the love of their parents. While this mother had to do something she had probably never done before out of love for her family, that is making toys out of wood, modern day parents internet shop, and buy things with the click of a button or just picking something up from a store. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, because it is not. The resources are provided to parents, and you cannot blame them for not making you some wooden toy, because we would not appreciate that in a modern day society, because we could be getting better things. Who would want a wooden toy when there's iPods out there? I mean c'mon, it's obvious. Anyways, this mother did not have the resources provided to her. She couldn't just click a button and presents would appear on her front porch step. She had to work to show her children that she loved them.
So the true meaning of Christmas is giving to and sacrificing for your loved ones. And today, we take it for granted. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm a last minute shopper. I don't think about getting somebody something until the final seconds. Heck, I have to buy a gift for my older cousin and my sister, as well as for my parents, god parents, and grandparents. I always don't put any thought into it, which is destroying the true meaning of Christmas. But I take it for granted, because we can get away with it. The resources we are provided with make Christmas too easy to take for granted. The woman in the story sacrificed time, dedication, hard work, SLEEP, everything to make sure her children felt loved.
If I would have left out the whole Jesus part I would have been sorry for a bad grade, but I had to do it sometime or another. The real true meaning of Christmas is celebrating Jesus' birthday. God selflessly gave his only son to us, and Jesus, who is God, sacrificed himself for us. He could have lived in heaven forever but came down to earth, went through the passion, and died a slow, gut wrenching, horrifying death. So much sacrifice was given into Jesus' life that we would not have Christmas without it. God loved us so much that he gave his only son. Most human take Christmas love for granted, in my opinion.
So in conclusion, (I hate to be a Debbie-Downer, but) I think that most people did lose the true meaning of Christmas, only because society has influenced us by giving us convenient resources. All most people think about deep down inside is what they will be getting and don't like to spend money on others. Love is essential in making a Christmas worth it. So yep, there's my spiel for the day. Merry one and a half weeks until Christmas!
Matt Bobby,
DeleteNice blog! I also really enjoyed the story. I think that it would have been difficult to provide for all those people without any money. I think that your paragraph about why the true meaning of Christmas is lost was very good. I also liked the personal examples. Nice blog.
Matt Bobby,
DeleteYour blogs always leaving me laughing in the end. Haha! I like your interpretation of the story, and I respect the fact that you acknowledged that the mother put in a lot of time and effort to make Christmas a special occasion for her children. I agree with you that we do not put that much time into gifts nowadays, but I disagree with you that most people lose the true meaning of Christmas. I am like you, a last minute shopper, but I still put the time and effort into finding a suitable gift for a family member or friend. I think a lot of people do still. And I also think that many people believe that the true meaning is Jesus' birth, as well. I laughed out loud when you mentioned that you 'would be hurting for a bad grade' if you didn't mention Jesus. Oh, Matt! That was hysterically funny! And your explanation of it was very deep, as well! Great work, Matt! I enjoyed our blog!
Each year, right after Thanksgiving, the discussion of whether Christmas has lost its meaning or not starts. This discussion usually features two sides: those show believe that it has not lost its meaning and those who do believe it has. The story that was associated with this blog really encompasses the true meaning of Christmas. The day of Christmas is obviously the birthday of Christ. This is the backbone of everything that Christmas is. Without Christ the day would not exist. The idea of presents really is explained in this story. Most of us are fortunate enough to have presents given to us with not much thought. There is never any worry of whether or not we will receive presents on Christmas. This story shows the sacrifice that some people face just to make their kids happy. This sacrifice that is made shows the face of Christ in their actions. This is how presents can relate to Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that the true meaning of Christmas is becoming less and less prominent. Although I do not think that it is gone, I do think that people keep Christ at the forefront of Christmas. I recently heard a homily at mass where the priest said that a store that he went to would not permit their employees to say “Merry Christmas” to their customers; rather they had to say “Happy Holidays.” This seemingly small change has large repercussions. By saying happy holidays, people are refusing to mention the name of Christ. This action takes away the true meaning of Christmas. People also are so consumed with buying presents that they forget why they are doing it. There are many people who are injured each Black Friday as a result of people being so obsessed with getting the best, cheapest presents. Overall, the true meaning of Christmas is fading away.
Luke Kraus,
DeleteShort and sweet! But to the point. I like it. I wholeheartedly agree with you that Christ's birth is the "backbone" of Christmas. I believe many people still believe that today. It is a shame, however, that some employees are not allowed to say, "Merry Christmas." I don't know, but I think that I would still say "Merry Christmas" even if I was told not to. It may seem silly, but would someone really fire me for saying "Merry Christmas"? If so, that is just stupid. Anyway, I enjoy how you discuss "sacrifice" in your blog. It's true. Our parents sacrifice so much just to make Christmas a special time for their children. I wish I would have written about that in my own blog! Darn it! Oh well! Haha! I enjoyed your blog. It really got me thinking! Good job, Kraus!
Kraus,
DeleteYour blog, though short, perfectly sums up the true meaning of Christmas. Our parents really sacrifice a lot for us so that we can have everything that we want. It is amazing how much they give for us. I also think that you are right in saying that Christ is the true reason for Christmas. He gave us everything. His is the ultimate sacrifice. The store not allowing people to say Merry Christmas. What crap is that? People say that you can no longer say it because it offends other religions, but I think it is more offensive to not say it. Ben Stein is a very famous man and he is also Jewish. He came forward saying that Merry Christmas is not offensive to the Jews. He says it. I think that people are over thinking everything. I think you did a really nice job, Kraus.
Kraus,
DeleteI also totally agree that the backbone for Christmas is Christ. Without Christ we probably wouldn't even have anything like Christmas and even if we did I wonder what we would call it...? Well it's a good thing that we don't have to worry about that. As for the employees not being able to say Merry Christmas, I think that it is absolutely ridiculous. I would probably say it anyways. Well great job!!
Luke Kraus
DeleteLet's start off saying, and this probably is not correct blogging terminology, but you are a baller. The backbone of Christmas is Christ. Oh yeah! The part about the employees and the Happy Holidays is so true. I mean the whole thing just changes around the meaning of Christmas. You nailed that part. Anyways I would write more, but it's kind of annoying with my cousin persisting that I go play guitar with him. So I'm going to stop for now. You know what you did right. Good job, keep it up.
Have we lost the true meaning of Christmas? The cynical part of me wants to say yes, people have absolutely lost the true meaning of Christmas. The optimistic Christmas loving side of me wants to say no, we haven’t. For this blog I am going with my optimistic self.
ReplyDeleteI want to start by saying, though, that people who have lost the true meaning of Christmas are only half at fault. The media emphasizes that more is more around the holidays. They make it seem like everyone has to buy the most gifts and spend the most money to make others happy. The gift recipients don’t really help either. I feel like we all know that one person that gets a gift on Christmas that isn’t good enough. Instead of being thankful that someone through the effort to get them a present, they are rude and ungrateful. This, however, is enough about those Debbie Downers. It is time to talk about why Christmas is still such a good thing.
What is the true meaning of Christmas? I think a lot of people ask themselves that question. Well, to me the true meaning of Christmas is a two part deal. I think that the first part above all is celebrating God. Jesus Christ came to Earth on this beautiful day to save us all. I think that the absolute most important part of Christmas is to celebrate his coming. If it were not for God, we would never exist. If Jesus had not died for us, people would be condemned. I think it is necessary to celebrate and honor him during this time. The second part of this definition is giving. I don’t mean giving in the whole buying expensive presents sense either. I mean giving of one self. I think it is important to take time during the Christmas season to do something for others. It is a beautiful way, not only to make someone’s day, to worship God and live in his image.
No argument is complete without citing examples either, so here we go.
The first example that I want to use is Project Gifts for Elk County. We have all seen the wonderful work that they do when we were down there to wrap the presents. It is amazing what they do. I am going to give you another perspective to look at, though. I have been down there when they pass out the presents. Those people are amazing. They interact with the kids, they spend hours during a day to give out those presents, and they brighten people’s days, and that is only the first table. All of those people that pass out presents are just as amazing. They talk to the kids about what they like to do. They are just doing everything that they can to ensure that everyone has a good Christmas. The look on the parents’ faces says that they succeed. Those people are so grateful for the fact that someone is willing to help them, and make sure that their child is going to have more presents on Christmas. On top of that they get to see Santa. Those people are trying to spread Christmas spirit to those who may have lost it. The whole experience is so heart warming. I am glad to be a part of it.
Another example is George Parody. Some of you may have heard about what he did and some of you might not have. He gave $20,000 to help pay down people’s layaways. It started when a woman was trying to figure out how to pay her layaway balance. He paid it for her. He also paid half of the balance on layaways that were over $200. He, as a wealthy man, could have easily ignored those poor people. He, however, chose to do an act of God like service and help those people. If that isn’t keeping the true spirit of Christmas alive in your heart, then I don’t know what is.
I think that the true meaning of Christmas isn’t as lost as people think it is. I am hopeful that humanity really understands what the day is about.
Megan,
DeleteI love your examples, I especially love the one about Project Gifts for Elk County. I am so glad that we as a senior class were able to help such a good cause. I think that Christmas brings out the best in people. It is just that time of the year where people seem to be more generous and selfless. I agree that the true meaning of Christmas isn't lost, it just may be hard to see every now and then but it is always there. Great job!!!
Megan,
DeleteOh how we love our examples! Hehe :)
Anyways, I loved your blog too! This makes me so excited for Christmas. You wrote beautifully on the coming of God and about giving. Giving of oneself and giving a gift can be synonymous activities but they don't have to be. I loved your Project Gifts for Kids example. Just wrapping the gifts was such a fun activity and I felt so good knowing that some child was gonna get to tear open that paper in frenzied excitement. I hope you had fun helping out. I'm sure it was wonderful! Nice job, Megan!
This was truly a heartwarming story to read before the holidays begin. It is amazing that a single mother of five boys was able to provide for them even though they were every poor. She not only provided food for the nous but she gave them a bright future by making them go to school and to church. She was so selfless and truly gave everything she had for her children.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this story that portrays the true meaning of Christmas I believe that we have not lost the true meaning of Christmas. Even though the media pushes harder and harder every year to emphasize the gifts, the true menacing of Christmas is still there. We just have to push away all of the media. It is obviously really nice to receive gifts on Christmas, but the giving is my favorite part. I love watching the whole gift giving process go down especially with my family. However the most interesting part of the exchange that I like to watch is the person who is giving the gift. Clearly the person receiving the gift is going to be excited and quite honestly I have all day to look at what everyone got.
My favorite part is watching the face of the person giving the gift. This is because their expressions are absolutely priceless and they only last for a few seconds. At first while the present is being opened suspense is mixed with happiness on the giving person's face, then as soon the gift is open and the person who received the gift smiles or gasps, the suspense is replaced with sheer joy. Watching this exchange never gets old in our family, everything is always a surprise. This is something that I look forward to every Christmas.
However the true meaning of Christmas is Jesus. There is something truly special about Christmas, it doesn't matter which one you go to they are all equally special in there own ways. I have been to all of the different Christmas masses in our parish mainly because of serving. The music is always on dog the biggest highlights of Mass for me. The whole Mass just seems happier, lighter and brighter. This is why I think that we haven't lost the true meaning of Christmas. The media can push as hard as it wants for the gifts, but I don't think that we will ever lost the true meaning of Christmas.
Michaela,
DeleteYour blog was so sweet. I'm so happy to see so many optimistic posts about Christmas. I agree with you entirely, I love giving gifts and watching people's excitement while giving a gift is absolutely priceless. That fact that people still feel such joy upon giving the perfect gift to someone they love, I feel, is proof that Christmas spirit is not all lost. We still find joy in being selfless, and that I what the season is all about. Your blog was a good example of using personal experiences well. Nice job.
That was so adorable. Such a nice read on this beautifully snowy December day.
ReplyDeleteBut the story speaks for itself. When asked if we, as a society, have lost the true meaning of Christmas the proof is in the context of the tale. As easy as it is to argue that we have, indeed, lost the pure "Christmas Spirit," let's not get cynical. We have not.
There are people who have lost the true sense of the holidays for certain. Advertisements commercialize the event and sometimes deter from the spiritual aspect of the holiday, however, at the end of the day, where do people spend the holidays? With family.
Christmas, despite the increased attention given to material possessions, is still a family holiday. Who are we buying for? Our family. Who do we spend the evening exchanging gifts with? Our family. Jesus is the reason for the season. We all know that. But part of celebrating him and glorifying God is recognizing the components in our life which are holy, and wonderful, and good. Family and loved ones. This is still the time of year where families load into the car to drive hours to grandma's house. People still hop on planes to see loved ones. The idea of spending Christmas alone has never sounded appealing, and that's because a celebration as glorious as this should not be spent dwelling in solitude, so people still gather together to enjoy this sacred day.
Those who get caught up in the "hustle and bustle" of the season often don't find themselves very fulfilled with the joy that is to be associated with the time. For how many cranky people we may encounter during our holiday shopping, we will see just as many kind holiday acts being preformed. We hear the ringing bells of the Salvation Army. We see trucks full of toys for less fortunate children or presents piled under the Angel Tree. These are solely Christmas sightings and they exemplify the ways of Christ in every way possible. It's too easy to focus on the bad traits of people. The cruelty of the world is overbearing enough. But cynicism rarely gets people closer to our ultimate goal, that of which is heaven, because to seek out negativity in others is to demean every human's sacred position as a child of God.
I love Christmas. It is my absolute favorite time of year. I spent the night last night with people that I love, snuggled up in my living room, watching "Christmas Vacation." And you know what? It was wonderful. That is why I could not possibly sit here and argue that we have lost what Christmas is all about, because regardless of every corrupt component of the holiday, it still brings people together. It makes people happy, if they choose to let it do so. And simple things, like watching a movie with family, or dropping a couple bucks into the Salvation Army bucket, that make us genuinely happy, we can be certain are in accordance with the way of The Lord, because the only way to achieve true happiness is through Him.
Merry Christmas, everybody.