Tis The Season

Tis the season. Tis the season of green and red to fill the homes, tis the season of the tones Silver Bells and Deck the Halls to echo down the sidewalks of the malls, and tis the season of giving. Joan Winmill Brown decribes the sensation of Christmas as "Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given, when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes."
Has the meaning of Christmas went from the celebrating the birth of Jesus, Incaration, to who can buy the biggiest, most expensive gifts. Santa's naughty list has more than doubled, but yet those children still get the toy of the season. The monotary base of Christmas is sickening, where have the days of giving back for our many blessings.
As I sat down to write this blog I put in the movie "Its A Wonderful Life." George Bailey the main character, whom the movie circles around is face with hardships that test his faith and human dignity. At a yough age he saves his brother's life from drowning in a frozen lake. While he was saving his brother he acquired a flu, and lost the hearing out of his left ear. As George's life progresses his life that he has spent years building begins to crumble. His reaction is asking he had never been born. Its at this point he meets his second class guarding angel, who grants him his wish. Through the vision of never being born he realize the truth meaning of Christmas. Thats its not the fact that he is in debt eight thousand dollars, but rather he has a family that loves him and a community that is willing to do anything to see him succeed.
Im not sure the meaning of Christmas can ever be converted back to a true celebration of the birth of Jesus but maybe parents will begin to inform their children of the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance, a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.

Celebrating Christmas Worldwide

Christmas is a wonderful time of year for me. It is a time of celebration and giving. I celebrate Christmas as the day of observing the birth of Jesus Christ. This is the true meaning of Christmas. However, it is also a time for me to be with my family. Although my family is really two families because of divorce, I feel love and warmth no matter where am I with any part of my family. Our traditions may have changed, but that only gives space for more traditions to begin.
One of the things that my family does is that on Christmas morning is that everyone sits down somewhere in the living room. Then, one person goes up to the tree and passed out gifts one by one. When someone gets a gift, they can open it then. This keeps things a lot more organized since my family is big.
I think its is also interesting to see what other people around the world do to celebrate Christmas. According to www.the-north-pole.com, in Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born, the Church of the Nativity celebrates with flags, decorations, and have a parade on Christmas Eve where horsemen and mounted police lead a procession where a solitary horseman sitting astride on a coal-black steed carries a cross.
The horsemen is then followed by churchmen and government officials and they make their way solemnly into the church. There they place an ancient effigy of the Holy Child inside. Down deep winding stairs is a grotto where a silver star makes the site of Jesus’s birth. A star is also place on a pole in the village square and Christian homes paint crosses over the door and display homemade manger scenes.
Santa Claus is also found in several celebrations around the world. Worldofchristmas.net states that in France he is know as Pere Noel, and children leave shoes by fireplace for him to fill with gifts. Santa Claus also just doesn’t live in the North Pole. In the Netherlands, where he is known as Sinterklaas or Sinterklass, he and his helper Black Peter live in Spain. In Brazil, Papai Noel, or Father Noel, lives in Greenland. In Mexico as well as Spain, children receive gifts from the Three Wise Men on January 6th. According to the website Santa’s Net, the Christian children in China know him as Dun Che Lao Ren, or Christmas Old Man, and they hang muslin stockings for him to fill.
Christmas is a holiday celebrated in many different countries in many different ways. I hope that it’s true meaning is never totally lost with all the hustle and bustle of buying gifts and spending money, because it isn’t about that. So, I hope that everyone has a merry Christmas this year, and every year to come.

'Tis the Season of Giving

The semester is wrapping up here at Piedmont College and will soon give way to the Christmas season. To many people, Christmas is the time of year to share with family. Many remember it as the day when Jesus was born. It can be the season of giving, get-togethers, feasts, presents or whatever else one can think of that might bring joy. All of this is great, but why now? Christmas should be celebrated and enjoyed by everyone, but there is no reason for the season of giving to come only once a year. Giving should be something done in our everyday lives, not something on our Christmas to-do list.
The Salvation Army sends volunteers yielding bells and Santa hats to store fronts around this time of year to raise money. Toys-For-Tots starts to collect gifts for underprivileged children this time as well. Why wait to ask for donations when everyone is counting pennies to buy that last gift? I wouldn’t mind sliding the Salvation Army a couple of bucks in the middle of summer with or without bells and red hats.
Simply put, seasonal giving should have the “seasonal” removed. People feel that dropping some change in the pot or a toy on the table will make their outlandish Christmas spending justified. Sure, that 37 cents will stretch a long way compared to the hundreds of dollars spent on the latest gaming technology upgrade! Christmas is a wonderful season that brings out the best in many but let’s not allow it to end on the 25th of December. Share as often as possible, give when you can and enjoy your family this Christmas.

Celebrating Christmas

For many people Christmas is a time to be with family, friends, and a huge relief from being in classes for sixteen weeks, but to some people Christmas is a time to give presents and go to church with family to celebrate the birth of Jesus. For me Christmas is the time that I spend with my love ones, friends, and celebrate my birthday, which is December 26. When I was younger, Christmas to me was just about all of the toys that I would get, but my main objective was to try to catch Santa in my living room putting down my presents. Trying to catch Santa was very hard for me throughout my childhood because every Christmas I did everything that I could to try to see him. I would put out cookies, milk, candy, and a present for him, but none of that stuff worked. I would wake up before everyone in my family bright and early to see what Santa had brought for me. After seeing, all of the presents that I had received I soon forgot about Santa because I was so excited about the toys and clothes that I thought Santa had gave me. As got older I realized why I could never catch him it was because Santa was my parents. When I found out that Santa was really my parents I just started to be a little more appreciative of my parents because I knew that we were not rich and didn’t have all the money in the world to just get anything. I knew that my parents had worked very hard to try to please my little sister and me for Christmas. Therefore, now Christmas to me is the time that my family comes together the most showing love to everyone.

Santa No Longer Exists...

When you ask kindergarteners what they want for Christmas, the most common responses used to be things like a bike, Barbie, or board game. When you asked them who gives them thier presents, they usually say Santa Claus. These days, even if thier belief in Santa is true, kindergarteners' wish lists have changed. Now it's a Wii or a cell phone. Technology has obviously made a huge impact on the world, even the little people in it. When I was young, I was mostly your typical kid at Christmas. I wanted a Barbie or some kind of baby doll and whatever else I could get. I wasn't too picky. However, I was different in that I never believed in Santa. My parents told me there was no such person from the get go. Some people have told me they feel as though my parents did me an injustice by telling me so. They said I must have had a boring childhood. I disagree. I had a great childhood. It was full of imagination and fun. I actually think that knowing my parents were the one's giving me my gifts gave me an advantage. This way, I could ask for more than I wanted and if I didn't get it, they couldn't blame it on some old guy with a beard. The same when for the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. The meaning of Christmas has changed for me. Not because I was told there was no Santa, but becuase I'm older. I realize now that this holiday is just another chance for businesses to take your money. It's become just another materialistic day instead of a time you should enjoy with family. I can't really blame businesses for this. They have to make money, especially in today's economy. I think you just have to do what I do: Remember that no matter how much the world changes, your family won't.

Meaning of Christmas

The phrase, "the meaning of Christmas" makes me think of little Linus on stage with his blue blanket telling the Biblical Christmas story. To me, this story IS the true meaning of Christmas. However, there are other feelings that accompany it. One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the peaked interest in helping others. From The Salvation Army to Toys for Tots, everyone is giving. This giving spirit is part of my personal meaning of Christmas. When we think of others and realize our own good fortune, we are giving for the right reasons. The giving spirit, though, can be taken the wrong way. Shooting someone at Toys-R-Us isn't quite grasping the idea of this giving thing. My parents never fought to get us the "toy of the season," but then again I don't remember ever wanting that coveted toy. In fact, this year, my family is having a Home Made Christmas. Everything we give to each other has to be made, not bought. I love this idea, but I also love to shop for people. I can't make that Vera Bradley set, which I will now be returning instead of giving to my mother. As we are bombarded with talks of a declining economy, our giving does not have to end. Donating your time is just as good, or better than money or items. One of my best Christmas experiences has been ringing the bell for The Salvation Army. Even children recognized this symbol of giving and would bring their little bit.
The meaning of Christmas is different for everyone and mine includes giving.

The Meaning of Christmas

This assignment is due Wednesday, Dec. 3rd. What is the meaning of Christmas to you? Answer from the heart, but also provide some researched facts. For example, look up how much money the average family spends on presents each year. Or explore ways other cultures recognize the season.