The original spirit of Christmas

By Leah Mushet, December 21 2024—

There is an inexplicable magic about the Christmas season—a celebration of sentimentality, a nostalgic reminder of childhood joy and the making of memories. While not everyone may participate in the Christmas lights, foods, decorations and pop culture references, most are guilty of enjoying them. These traditions comprise modern ideas of Christmas more than the Christian tradition itself. 

So, what is the Christian tradition of Christmas and how is it related to what the modern celebration has become? David Miller poses a similar question in his article “Christmas: An Anthropological Lens.” In his words, “The main modern controversy has been whether the most powerful of these new forces, that of commerce, has been so successful in its appropriation as to overturn and then destroy the spirit of Christmas.” Does the commercialization of the Christmas tradition destroy the holiday’s core spiritual message?

As summarized by Miller, the crystallization of Christmas traditions was established in the mid-nineteenth century. These various traditions developed across different parts of Europe and were selectively chosen and combined into what we now consider our traditional Christmas customs. For example, the Christmas tree is of German origin, the stocking is Dutch and the Christmas card is British. 

Despite varying practices, the traditions of Christmas contain a spiritual core, celebrating the spirit of life and appreciating the people who make it meaningful. What could be more spiritual than this? Its Christian origin does not limit other cultures from appreciating its spirit of gratitude. Gift-giving shows gratitude to those we cherish. Decorating and celebrating prioritize time spent creating memories with those we love. Experiences like these are universally valued. The union of these traditions and their lasting impression on our modern culture has endured because of the underlying message behind them. 

The best representation of Christmas’s core spiritual message is the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. What is the opposite of the Christmas spirit? It comes from Scrooge’s infamous idiomatic expression: “Bah Humbug!”—a symbolic rejection of the spirit of Christmas. 

In the classic tale, Scrooge isolates himself from others. He is visited by the ghosts of his past, present and future, who reveal the consequences of his solitude. Readers are thus encouraged to understand the importance of cherishing those around them, as rejecting this core spiritual message diminishes the celebration of the human spirit. This theme is particularly well depicted when the final ghost shows Scrooge a future where his death is met with indifference, highlighting the emptiness of a life lacking in connection.

Scrooge then realizes that our lives are composed of our connections, our ability to show gratitude for these connections and our willingness to celebrate and make memories with these people, cherishing them to the fullest. Life is meaningful because of the memories and connections we make with others, and the Christmas spirit reminds us of this. 

This reminder, through Christmas tradition, is a spiritual practice, as it grasps our spiritual needs as human beings. The magic of Christmas is its emphasis on generosity and gratitude, a universally valued practice, even in modern times. Thus, the commercialization of Christmas does not diminish its underlying meaning since this is solidified in its enduring traditions.

This article is a part of our Opinions section and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gauntlet editorial board.