As the temperature grew cooler and decorations started going up around campus, you couldn’t help but get caught up in the spirit. Right after Thanksgiving break, we had Christmas on the Promenade, where all the different department decorated their buildings, and hot chocolate and doughnuts were served, as bands, choirs, and orchestras played music all along the Promenade. To close the evening, Gordon Bietz gave a short speech, and then turned on the lights to the big Christmas tree in the center of campus. It was a fun evening, and it totally put Allie and I in the Christmas mood. For days afterwards, we would keep all the lights off in our room except for the Christmas lights, and we had Christmas music playing almost constantly. In our hall lobby they set up a tree and hung lights, and afterwards there were cookies, candy, and sweet bread. The temperature was down in the 30’s and 40’s; and every day, heading to class, you’d see people bundled up in warm coats with brightly colored scarves and gloves.Like I said, you just couldn’t escape it… it was everywhere… especially once the Christmas parties started! One Saturday night we put together flannel blankets as Christmas present for the people at Patten Towers (a low-income housing residence). Once again, there was Christmas music, hot chocolate, spiced cider, and way too many Christmas cookies. As Allie and I walked out of the building after the party that night, we were in such merry spirits we nearly ran right into the poor frightened couple making out by the doors! (I should clarify – the couple was only frightened AFTER we nearly ran into them… I’m sure they were just fine before that.)
Anyhow, as I was saying, the Christmas spirit was everywhere. Even our A&P teacher got caught up in it, as one morning in class he sang for us “The Twelve Cranial Nerves of Christmas.” It was pretty amusing.
Well I don’t know what happened… but it’s gone…. like TOTALLY GONE! Just disappeared… VAMOOSE!
Maybe it has something to do with fact that it is now nearly 80 degrees outside, and I’ve been running around in shorts. Or maybe it’s just that all of our focus is on finals right now, and there aren’t too many feelings of cheer and good will. Or perhaps it has something to do with all this wedding stuff going on (we had Audrey’s bachelorette party last Saturday night, and her wedding shower on Sunday!).Whatever the cause, it’s clear in my mind that the Christmas spirit has officially left me. The Christmas lights haven’t been turned on in our room in quite some time, and I haven’t been listening to nearly as much Christmas music (right now I’m listening to the Gods and Generals soundtrack… I think we pretty much wore poor Josh Groban out…).
So all this has gotten me to thinking… what is it that really makes Christmas for me? Is it just the cold weather and frost on my car windshield? (a poor substitute for snow, I know…) Or maybe it’s the Christmas decorations and festive music? Or is it something more...
In A&P class the other day, our teacher was talking about the term “Xmas” and how we shouldn’t use it because it takes “Christ” our of “Christmas.” Then he compared that to how we need to remember not to take Christ out of the Christmas season. Granted, his analogy was faulty, considering the origin of the term “Xmas”, but the principle remains true. Without Christ, Christmas means nothing.
In today’s culture, we are virtually surrounded by all the artifacts that make up Christmas. The lights, the trees, the presents, the music, the blow-up Santas and snowmen… even the nativity scenes – by themselves, these things don’t do much for my Christmas spirit… and even combined, there is still something missing (although I honestly can’t say that the blow-up Santas and snowmen have ever done much of anything for me…).
I think I experienced it best, though, last Christmas. That year my family decided to skip the typical present-buying nightmare that usually comes with Christmas, and get each other presents from the ADRA Gift Catalog instead. We each drew a name, and that was family member you were to buy a gift for.
Christmas morning came around, and as my family gathered in the living by the tree, we were each handed a card.
I sat down to open my card, and nearly choked up as I read the words scribbled inside…
...Because you’re my favorite sister, I worked extra hard this year so that two children in Madagascar get hot lunches, and two children get flip-flops. Love Hannah (5 yrs. old)
Now since when do children in Madagascar and flip-flops have anything to do with the Christmas spirit?
I looked up from my card to see Hanna’s beaming face; she was so proud of this gift that she had worked hard saving up for, all year long. And the joy she experienced in giving it, couldn’t be matched.
So maybe the Christmas spirit isn’t just one thing… maybe it’s made up of a whole bunch of things...
I still get excited when I hear the first Christmas song of the season, and when I see the first Christmas decorations, but when I try to think of what makes Christmas Christmas for me, I can’t pinpoint any one thing.
When I think of Christmas, I think of family… home… music… pretty lights… tree hunting… baking… decorating… smiling faces… fuzzy scarves… warm fires… good stories… Silk Nog and cookies… cold weather… and the Christmas story, which showed us the best example of giving ever.
-Shannon
