Christmas Time!

My family and I had been attending a Messianic Synagogue for the past 5 years and, therefore, had stopped celebrating Christmas as heartly as we once did. It is (for me) impossible not to be festive around this Holiday season so we still decorated a little and exchanged gifts, but I was trying to decide what Christmas really means to me. Between me and God. Not what someone told me to think or believe.

Messianic circles circles don't celebrate Christmas at all. The Bible does not specifically tell us to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ (like it tells us to remember the Passever, etc) and, apparently, the holiday was originally planned by the church over a pagan holiday to get people to celebrate their holiday instead of the pagan one. I think that last one is the thing that really puts people such as Messianic Jewish believers off of Christmas. Well, that and the commercialization of the holiday. Some also say that Jesus wasn't even born at Christmas time. Well, I consider that, whatever day you want to celebrate it, remembering the birth of our SAVIOR is an admirable, reccomended, and wonderful thing to do.

For me, the start of winter is such a cozy, exciting time, it begs for celebration and special family time! 
In the words of Abed from the show Community, "The meaning of Christmas is that Christmas has meaning." Christmas means family. It means traditions and giving. It means rejoicing that our Savior came to earth (whether He came in December or July or whenever He was actually born). Christmas means something different to everyone.

I love Christmas. I love the smell of a real Christmas tree and the dim, twinkly light let off in the living room by a lit tree in the evening. I love hot apple cider and cooking with family. I love that people's jobs give them extra money during this time in the form of a Christmas bonus. People remember what it is to think about what other peaple like and want.
I love the 'holiday brain' in the workplace. Where people are easily distracted by a flury of new snow out of a window and take time to leave little gifts on co-workers desks. I think its wonderful when baking projects get started and those who would never sit down and paint a picture decorate gingerbread men or cut paper snowflakes.

So I happily rejoin the ranks of hearty Christmas celebrators with a fresh perspective on why these days are so merry and bright.
 

My boyfriend and I at a Tacky Christmas party

Remember: "The meaning of Christmas is that Christmas has meaning." Define what it means to you and each year remind yourself what your very own meaning of Christmas is.



My dear friend and co-worker spent a whole Saturday making
and decorating gingerbread cookies to pass out at work, etc.