A Christmas wish

I was raised a Protestant, a Lutheran, in Germany where I grew up. There were only two accepted religions in those days: Lutherans and Catholics. Everyone paid a church tax. It was deducted from your income. If you didn’t want to pay church tax, you had to declare that you were an Atheist. There were other religious groups, but they were considered sects. One of the subjects in School was Religion and nobody complained about it.

My parents were quite religious, without being fanatical about it. We went to church every Sunday, we prayed before and after dinner, and I wanted to become a Pastor when I grew up. My mom read us biblical stories before we went to bed, and we celebrated Christmas, or more precisely, Christmas Eve, the way Christmas is celebrated in Germany.

Christmas was considered a time of celebration, the remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ. There were two days of celebration: The first and second Christmas Day. Most people had those two days off. It was a time for family to get together. Sure, we got presents, but they were mainly meant for the children and they were not extravagant. Christmas was a holy event and not something to be exploited commercially.

Here in America (I’m talking about the US and Canada), Christmas is celebrated on the first day, and that’s it. Years back Boxing Day used to be the day when people took back their presents and exchanged them, but now it is a day were people’s ambition is to get the best deal on stuff they may not even want or need.

Christmas is not what it used to be anymore. Merchants start advertising already in October. We have ‘Before Boxing Day’ sales, we have ‘Pre-Christmas’ sales. Stores are open until midnight and beyond on Christmas Eve. We have one day where Christmas is celebrated, and then comes the ‘real’ Boxing Day’. After that it is ‘Boxing Day week’. In other words Christmas has turned into a circus, a time to make money for merchants and for shoppers to get bargains. The real spirit of Christmas has disappeared. It seems people don't even know why they celebrate Christmas.

In fact, it isn’t politically correct anymore to use the word ‘Christmas’. Now it is ‘Holiday’ or 'The Season'. We had a School in Winnipeg where the principal decided to do away with the Christmas concert; instead they were going to have a Holiday Celebration with African Drums. Fortunately, it caused quite an uproar and they cancelled that wonderful idea, for this year anyway. Our government is giving in to minority groups, to people who have been given a chance for a good life and now they are trying to change our way of living. And if anyone complains or even talks about it, that person is considered a hatemonger, a bigot, or some kind of Redneck. I’m all for tolerance, but it works both ways.

I’m not as religious as I used to be, I didn’t become a Pastor, and I don’t belong to any particular church, but I still believe in the Spirit of Christmas. I will not be intimidated by those forces who want to change the customs of this great country. We are still a Christian country and I will say ‘Merry Christmas’.

Even if one isn’t religious or doesn’t believe in Jesus, there is nothing wrong with the message that is part of the celebration of Christmas, of his birth.

Peace on Earth and good will to all mankind.



We need that in these violent times where terrorists, who hate everything they don't believe in or can't have and everyone who is different, are trying to throw the world into chaos.

  
Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.