What Is Christmas?

Last week I tried to explain the concept of Santa Claus to a family of Burmese refugees who I tutor in English. The looks on their faces were priceless as I gave them the whole spiel, from the flying reindeer to the squeezing down the chimney to the naughty or nice list. It wasn’t immediately clear if they looked confused because they couldn’t understand the words I was uttering or if they couldn't conceive of why anyone would come up with such a story. But I’m leaning toward the second option.

These folks are Christians who have left their homeland due to persecution. They celebrate Christmas by having a joint worship service between various denominations in their village high up in the mountains. Every pastor from every church speaks. Every choir sings. Scripture is read. Long prayers are prayed. I know this because they had me watch a DVD that had video of the Christmas celebrations in their city of Lungler in 2010. Even though many parts were fast forwarded, it took a long time to get through.

After this extended worship service, everyone in the village of around 1,000 people sets up these enormously long tables made of logs and planks. They slaughter an enormous cow and an enormous pig, cook them up along with rice, and the whole town sits down to eat together. A small gift may be given. In the video I saw, everyone was getting a cigarette lighter from some American charity or corporation, I don’t know which (apparently everyone there smokes).

These folks really celebrate Jesus’ birth on Christmas. Nothing else. Nothing added, nothing taken away. It is as pure a celebration as you can imagine.

Okay, let’s come down off the high mountains of Myanmar back to America.

We have been asking our 3½-year-old son each time we go to the mall (which is more than you might think because of the kids’ play place there) if he wants to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what he wants for Christmas. Without fail he declines. We’ve already told him that Santa is just a story (oh, what terrible parents we must be!) and that his presents come from those who love him and are given in celebration of Jesus’ birth (he’s a pastor’s kid, remember). But we don’t want to keep him from enjoying all aspects of Christmas. We don’t think Santa is evil. Still, our boy is completely uninterested in Santa.

We’re not upset about this.

Why, you may ask, would you rob a child of the magic of Christmas by telling him Santa isn’t real? What kind of a heartless jerk would do such a thing?

Let me answer that with a question of my own. Which is more magical and amazing? That some random fat guy in a red suit comes down your chimney and leaves presents if you are good enough, or that the creator of the universe became human to save you because you can never be good enough? Does Christmas need some other story to beef it up? No, it doesn’t. The reason the holiday exists at all is so much more incredible than the trappings Western society has added to it. In addition, if we tell our son that Santa is real and then one day he finds out that Santa is not real (oh, you knew that, didn't you?) then what else will he question? Would he not also possibly conclude that all those stories we told him about Jesus weren't true either?

As I was attempting to explain Santa to my friends from Myanmar, I have to tell you, I felt like kind of an idiot. (Actually, it’s not the first time I’ve felt like an idiot while teaching them about American customs…Halloween comes to mind as well.) And every December I tell myself that I will consciously focus on Jesus on the day of Christmas. But then we are traveling and seeing family and opening piles of stuff we don’t need. And then the day is done.

The weeks leading up to Christmas are easier. During Advent I think about the true reason for the season. I read and hear Scriptures attesting to his coming and his nativity. I sing and listen to songs and hymns that proclaim his birth. I decorate my house with reminders of that momentous event. But the day of, if I’m honest, it can slip my mind.

What do you do to focus your celebration of Christmas on the Christ child? Or have you never really thought about Christmas as anything more than a time to give and receive gifts and eat a metric ton of cookies and candy? What does Christmas mean at your house? Is that what you want it to mean?