How do you celebrate Christmas?

Today during morning devotion, we were asked to tell how do we really celebrate Christmas in our family aside from church stuff. Then I realised, I don’t really ‘celebrate’ Christmas like most people would. I don’t come from a traditional ‘Christian family’ so, we never celebrate Christmas as a mega family celebration. All these years that I spent away from home, I never go back to my hometown for Christmas. I only go back for Chinese New Year, somebody made the statement, we are like Chinese first and Christian second!

Hhm how true is that? It caused me to think, what really is Christmas to me. I guess it’s a season filled with much activities. We get really busy at the church preparing for events and services, and since it’s also the closing of the year, it’s also a time of rushing to settle accounts, settle issues, get new banners and designs up for next year etc etc. Some people actually view this month negatively. Coz being a season of giving, it’s also a time when we need to spend more than usual, on gifts, clothes, deco and more. I mean, here we are saying, hey look at the world, they have so commercialised Christmas, made it into a tradition of shopping, spending, giving, parties, holidays, breakaways and all. But we are really into it ourselves as well. I won’t say it is a bad thing, I really enjoyed shopping for gifts (for some it’s a headache), I enjoy reflecting on the passing year and the blessings, the good and bad times.

However, I would want to know that Christmas is more than all these things. Taking a quote from the drama that we just had

“Christmas is nothing without Christ, it would just be just…’Mas’”

Does it sound lame? But it is just plain truth. I’m glad in Malaysia, with all these hype about the season, we have not forgotten what the source of Christmas is all about. We have not thrown Christ out of our celebrations, we still hear carols such as “Silent Night” on radio, with verses such as “Christ the Saviour was born”. I treasure these times, coz this would be like the only time Christ can be mentioned in public media, being celebrated by folks from all walks of life, even though not all may understand, but at least, He is being celebrated. With every Christmas, I pray that there will be more hope, more joy, more peace, more love.

For some, it is a time for family gettogethers, for reconciliations, for forgiving and forgetting, which is just fantastic. I do feel we shouldn’t just do all these only on Christmas, everyday should be celebrated like it is Christmas. Of course, knowing us inconsistent worldlings, we always need such a specific day as a reminder to do just that.

Having said all these, here’s wishing everyone a really Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year. Let me know how you all celebrate your Christmas! I will just er…go midnite shopping at KLCC tonite and then go carolling tomorrow at 3pm in Metro Kajang! And eat like 3 lunches on Christmas day!