Christmas or More Christ is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, a symbol of love, peace, forgiveness, and generosity. Santa Claus is another symbol of Christmas and the spirit of love and generosity. Christmas is a time to remember the birth and life of Jesus, as well as Santa through acts of love and generosity to others, especially the less fortunate.

Somewhere in the retail market, the meaning of Christmas has been altered. Gift buying and giving seems more of an obligation for many. It’s Christmas therefore we have to exchange presents. Often, giving a gift is more of a formality to get a gift we want. Then there are those who go to great lengths and expense to get their loved ones the big ticket items they desire.

While it is nice to give the people we love the things they want, the meaning of Christmas gets lost in consumerism when this is the sole purpose of the holiday.  Nowhere in the story of the birth of Jesus is it mentioned that Joseph waited in line for hours at the market to get baby Jesus the latest toy sensation, the draddle.  The inherent spirit of Christmas is about celebrating love of and generosity to our fellow humans, especially to those less fortunate than us.

Christmas is not about what gifts you give or receive. Christmas is not about how you treat others in the month of December. Jesus didn’t just help people in his birthday month. The spirit of Christmas is bigger than that. The spirit of Christmas reminds us we are all part of one extended family, humanity, and we need to honor and care for each other as Jesus and Santa did. The spirit of Christmas should fill us not for one month, but for the entire year. The love and generosity of Christmas day should be with us every day for all people.