How to Keep Alive the Meaning of the Christmas and the Holiday Season

The Holiday season has literally become a rat race. It is a race to the stores at 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. the morning after Thanksgiving to grab those discounted items before everyone else gets to them. If you are a catalog shopper like I am, it is carrying upstairs 25 catalogs per day from my mailbox, only to put most of them on the recycling pile.

As a Christian, the holiday season means Christmas to me - a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. To the Jews, the Holiday season means Chanukkah, the lighting of the Menorah over a period of 8 days that celebrate the miracle of lights that occurred after the Hellenistic period. When the Jews were able to rededicate their temple after the end of Greek rule, there was only one night's worth of oil, yet they were able to light the Menorah for eight days. For both Christians and Jews, the holiday season is full of wonder and tradition. How can you begin to enjoy the wonder and traditions, as well as the holy meaning of December 25.

My husband and I always feel rushed every year, and yet we do a few things that make us remember what we're planning for. For Christians, these days before Christmas are the days of Advent. Advent marks the awaiting of the Christ child in eager anticipation. We have a tradition of lighting the Advent candles. There are four: one for each Sunday in Advent. Each Sunday, we light an additional candle, until on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, all four candles (three purple and one pink) are lit. There are Advent candles in church, but we also bought a small set of advent candles for our home. Each night, my husband and I light the candle, and say a prayer from an advent prayer book. It helps to place us in a hopeful mood.

We have also bought an Advent calendar. The calendar, which can be purchased in most card stores or religious stores, begins on December 1st. Each day, there is a small window that is opened and a picture is shown, marking the journey to Bethlehem. On some calendars, scripture verses are indicated so that you can read the scripture phrase along with the picture. Once again, this exercise gives one pause about what the season is about.

The religious meaning of Christmas translates into gift giving or giving of alms. That is why we really buy holiday gifts today, even though the commercialism of Christmas might make us forget the origin of the gift giving. In order to get more in the spirit of the season, an individual or family can do something special for someone in their family, their neighborhood, or volunteer in a soup kitchen, or a give a little to the Salvation Army or a favorite charity.

What about having fun in the midst of the season preparations? My husband and I have often found respite in having a holiday dinner out with friends or attending a concert. No matter where you live, there are always Christmas concerts. There are orchestral concerts, holiday plays, church choir concerts, the lighting of Christmas trees or Menorahs in towns and cities. There are also holiday movies that come out each year. All of these events bring a respite from the rush, and make us remember what the season is all about.

With just two weeks left before Christmas, think about what you and / or your family can do to put you in a seasonal mood. If you have young children, read them a holiday story, or Christmas or Chanukkah story. While you buy them gifts that they eagerly await, as years go by, they will also have fond memories of your little traditions and the stories you told them.

Every year we rush, but we always get everything done. So, take a breather and savor the holiday season.