December 25, 2006
Dear Friend,
In a Catholic School Religion class during Advent, the children were asked, “What do you think of when you hear the word “Christmas”? The good news is that “Jesus” won most often. Unfortunately, he took only 42 percent of the vote. “Presents” was the first runner-up with 25 percent. It may not be happy news that one quarter of the students in a Catholic School say they think about Christmas presents before they think about Jesus. The news may in fact be worse, since you might expect that the children were playing up to expectations, giving answers they thought would make the teacher happy or were more focused on Jesus because the poll was conducted during Religion Class. Whatever the reason, we can say at least 25 percent of the class missed the point or did they?
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that, like most folks in a “consuming” culture like our own, these kids confused the Christian “holy day” of Christmas with the consumer “holiday” of the same name. Folks who have organized to protest the commercialization of Christmas call the consumer holiday “Consumas.” I’m not sure that will ever catch on, but it is a good descriptor. Christmas and Consumas do not even occupy the same time period, though this isn’t immediately apparent since they do overlap. Christmas is part of a cycle that begins with the 1st Sunday of Advent and ends only with the Baptism of the Lord in early January. The longing of four weeks and the celebration of the weeks are both elements of the season. The commercial holiday, on the other hand, officially begins with the shopping madness on the day after Thanksgiving. If you look carefully however, it actually begins even before then with the appearance of the first Christmas items and displays in the Malls. It could be as early as on the day after Halloween. Someone observed that Macy’s had a Santa outfit on sale for $50 during the month of August. Consumas ends officially at midnight Christmas Eve. Although you won’t hear a single Christmas song or carol the day after-Christmas, liquidation sales will go on for another 12 days.
Of course the overlapping Christmas Seasons have different heroes. The central figure of the Christian Christmas is Jesus Christ. The central figure of Consumas is Santa Claus. While Jesus gives us love unconditionally, Santa Claus gives us things if we’ve been good. Note that almost everything that Santa Clause brings has to be bought. The whole meaning of Consumas – commercial Christmas – is to sell us “stuff” and by that measure it’s a very successful holiday. Your Money Magazine found that Americans charged an average of $3,000,000 a minute between Thanksgiving and Christmas in 1997.
But I believe beneath the mounds of stuff people genuinely want to celebrate something more, something deeper and it’s very difficult to escape the messages of commercial Christmas because there are so many of them and they are everywhere. Here are a few quick ways to help you celebrate the holy day rather than be consumed by the holiday.
Be Aware: Recognize that commercial Christmas is a non-Christian and at times even anti-Christian celebration. That’s why is called Consumas as in it can “consume us.”
Take Responsibility: We can’t change the culture, but we can change our own choices and actions toward the culture. No one is forcing us to escalate how much we’re going to allocate for gifts. No one is binding us hand and foot and dragging us into the department stores or onto the webpage. And let’s not blame the media for our own willing seduction.
Present Gifts from the Heart: Buying or making a few after Christmas gifts from the heart is a good way to share the holy season with those you love. The key? Keep it simple and meaningful. Connect the gift (try making something) to a quality of the person you love. Try a symbolic or sentimental gift. Next year no one will remember what you gave them, but if it’s from the heart, they will.
Watch What You Watch: Viewer beware! Discriminate when it comes to “Christmas Specials.” While they may be about charity, repentance, and forgiveness, they’re not really about Christmas. Christmas is about a divine/human person whose life, death, and resurrection teach us that “God is with us” (Emmanuel), alive, and in this world.
Celebrate All of the Christmas Season:
Don’t stop celebrating on December 25th as the secular season fizzles out. Plan some of your Christmas socializing for after Christmas Day. For example try celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family with your family gathered around the dinner table. On New Year’s Day celebrate the Solemnity of Mary; on the following Sunday, celebrate the Epiphany.
Have a great Holy Day and Holy Season.
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
Fondly,
Father Nick Amato
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