Our Great Christmas Traditions Are Fading

Unfortunately, our great Christmas traditions are fading and holiday fellowship is a thing of the past

When I was growing up, Christmas was an incredible time of year. The holiday season was filled with spiritual fulfillment, great fellowship and celebrations, and a joyous time of kindness and compassion toward your fellow man. Christmas day itself was a busy day of fun and celebration that started on Christmas Eve and lasted until we went to bed on Christmas day.

Christmas Eve began with a trip to church. The spiritual significance of Christmas is truly awesome and the love of God has no bounds, and no limits. God Himself, Jesus Christ, left His place of glory in heaven, and became one of us right here on earth. He lived among us, suffered with and for us, then redeemed and saved us. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins so that we could have eternal life. Everyone who believes in Him shall not perish and will have eternal life.

The spiritual significance of Christmas is truly awesome and so were our celebrations. We began with a party as soon as the church service was over. We met in the church rectory and enjoyed something to eat and drink, lively conversation, and good fellowship.

After that we went to a relatives house where family members would gather for more snacks and fellowship. We finally got home at three or four in the morning.

We got up around ten o'clock on Christmas morning and wondered why we were all so tired. We opened our gifts and then we had to rush out to another relatives house. We arrived around noon time and enjoyed a four or five course dinner. Then we exchanged gifts, and mingled with the relatives. In the evening we went to my grandmother's house for more celebration and fellowship.

For the next week or so we would exchange visits with our relatives. We would visit them and they would visit us.

Now that my grandparents and most of my aunts and uncles are deceased, it is up to my generation to continue this great tradition. Unfortunately, my generation has not maintained these great traditions of celebration and fellowship. My brother and his family come back to the homestead to spend Christmas day with us. My few remaining aunts and uncles are now grandparents and have families of their own so we do not visit them. We usually do not get together with my cousins and the holiday exchange is limited to cards and phone calls.

These same trends are probably occurring all across the country. We all should make an effort to restore our great Christmas traditions, and we can start by visiting our relatives during the holiday season.