Summary:

I am not talking about trees, shopping and giving and receiving presents. Or even travelling and baking and rushing to get things done at the last minute.

I am talking about the spirit of Christmas. Listen to another voice: “And therefore, Uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that Christmas has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!” ― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. What is Fred, Scrooge’s Nephew, talking about? We all feel it at times; kindness, forbearance, friendlier greetings, placing others’ needs before ours. That Christmas smile in our hearts that translates into happiness for ourselves and those around us.

For the next 10 minutes, we will unpack what it would mean to have Christmas year round.

Transcript:

I am not talking about trees, shopping and giving and receiving presents. Or even travelling and baking and rushing to get things done at the last minute.

I am talking about the spirit of Christmas. Listen to another voice: “And therefore, Uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that Christmas has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!” ― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. What is Fred, Scrooge’s Nephew, talking about? We all feel it at times; kindness, forbearance, friendlier greetings, placing others’ needs before ours. That Christmas smile in our hearts that translates into happiness for ourselves and those around us.

For the next 10 minutes, we will unpack what it would mean to have Christmas year round.

After Christmas, the post holidays slump hits. We’re tired, perhaps spent more money that we should have, and we are wondering where the energy and good feelings went. Now it’s January; no work holidays coming up, the bills are due, and the weather may not be the best. What happened? Can we fix this?

We have made Christmas into an all-important, do or die, single day event. The frenzy starts early, and builds from there. Black Friday melees, tired and frustrated people trying to do too much and focusing on one day. People going about their regular business, adding Christmas business to their loads.

Let’s hear again from Charles Dickens, this time from Marley, Scrooge's deceased partner. “Business! cried the Ghost!”, wringing its hands again. "Mankind was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business. The deals of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!” Where are, “...charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence…” as we go through the entirety of the Christmas Season? And it is not just being in business that applies here, it is the busy-ness of life in general and Christmas in particular that fits here.

Have you ever been asked, “Are you ready for Christmas?” This question is often followed by some level of lamenting and commiserating by the people involved. Why? Halloween is the second largest holiday in the US as gauged by spending. Have you ever been asked if you were “ready” for Halloween? Perhaps you were asked what costume you were going to wear, but no one asks the “ready” question. The ready question implies the enormity of the task of preparing for Christmas, and is usually asked to compare how far the questioner is behind in preparing for Christmas compared to the other person.

Why all the strenuous preparing leading up to 20 minutes of opening presents, followed by a tired slump? Why not a continual, perhaps prayerful, focus on the spirit that Dickens writes about, “...charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence…”?