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1st December 2009 by Julia Hosking

December 1. Only 24 more days of preparation before Xmas. And wow, I have so much to do! It's my first Xmas with my husband so we bought a brand new tree. Tonight we can decorate it, hang lights and slowly build up the pile of presents under the beautiful tree.

Oh no, presents! I have to go and buy Xmas presents for all my family and friends. I better write a list. What will I buy? And how much will it cost? Ah, I don't have time to think about that now, I've got parties to plan and attend, cookies to bake, gingerbread houses to decorate, carols to rehearse, church charities to donate to...

Did I just say church? Hmm, I guess I better plan to go to church on Xmas Day too. But, if I stay home, I have more time to bake, clean, tidy and prepare for the family lunches, afternoon teas, dinners and Boxing Day events...

Three questions

Does the above monologue sound like you? Has 25 December become merely a day that concludes three months of decorations and carols? Or is it a celebration of something much more meaningful?

X-ing him out

I have an issue with the abbreviation ‘Xmas'. Sometimes, I feel we get so caught up in the busyness surrounding Christmas, we forget what Christmas is all about, and we cross (X) Christ out. Taking Christ out of Christmas makes 25 December just another day.

I used to be a ‘checkout chick' at Woolworths. Working close to Christmas used to really bug me for one main reason: people whinging to me about their busyness and stress.

I have to buy so many presents. I'm overwhelmed by all the parties I have to attend. Look at all this naughty food I'm buying; and I bought this much last week too! Those lines to see Santa are just ridiculous, and of course, my kids have to see him.

While I do not know the heart of everyone who expressed their complaints to me, I am sure many of them did not understand why they were pouring so much energy into one day. I think they did the ‘Christmas thing' for the kids, out of family tradition, out of expectation, or simply because of commercial pressure!

The birth is the celebration

What so many people forget, is the fact that Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ. It's about celebrating the coming of our King, the Messiah, Emmanuel and our Saviour. It's about celebrating the coming of the one who will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

Festivities in perspective

Don't get me wrong, I love buying Christmas presents (and receiving them), decorating the tree, baking Christmas goodies, singing carols, walking to look at Christmas lights on people's houses and having fun with family and friends. And there's nothing wrong with that, as long as it is kept in perspective.

What's more exciting about the festive season, however, is celebrating the fact that Jesus Christ came to earth many years ago. So, I want to encourage you to start celebrating Christmas, the way we ought to, today.

• When you hear the pianist playing Silent Night in David Jones, think about Jesus' birth.
• When you see a house that has strung lights on their roof reading "the wise seek him", seek Jesus.
• When you send an angel-themed Christmas card to a friend, remind them to celebrate his coming.
• When you see Santa Claus at the shopping centre, remember St Nicholas who cared for the poor, and show Christ's love by doing a similar act.
• When you buy presents for your family, reflect on Christ as the ultimate gift.

Christ is Christmas

Think about Jesus all throughout your Christmas preparations (not your Xmas preps). And remember the angels who said, "Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).

When the Christmas decorations hit the stores, we should be placing the birth of Christ, his life on earth, and what that all means for us, alongside the thought of 25 December.

Happy Christmas!

Julia Hosking is a journalist with The Salvation Army, writing for the MORE website and Pipeline Magazine. She is a perfectionist at heart and loves eating chocolate, drinking coffee and chilling out with her husband, Michael.

Julia and her husband worship at Menai Salvation Army, and during their honeymoon they discovered a passion for lying on Thailand beaches.

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1. 

   Julia

   December 01, 2009 at 2:31pm

   Authors Note: In Greek and early Christian history, "X" was used as the symbol for Christ. Therefore, the use of "Xmas" is not wrong, sinful or even disrespectful.
   
   Instead, in the above article, I have taken the usage of the abbreviation Xmas to lead into a discussion about how the wider society often crosses Christ out of Christmas. They may use Xmas as a way to ignore the significance of Christ because they do not understand the meaning of the symbol.
   
   So whether we spell his name in letters, or use a simple symbol, we have to ensure that Christ is the centre of our Christmas celebrations.

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