The 14 school days of Christmas: Don’t forget the greatest gift of all

Everyone gets caught up in the Christmas season and all the hustle and bustle that surrounds the holiday. People find themselves stressing about what gifts to buy for everyone, and how to prepare for family members who are coming over. While being caught up in those affairs, a lot of people have forgotten why Christmas is celebrated in the first place: It is a commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. 

There is nothing wrong with spending loads of money on loved ones and celebrating with family and friends, but America has largely taken the Christ out of Christmas.

In 2019 a poll was conducted that concluded that 65 percent of American adults identified as Christians, and that number of people has continued to decrease since 1990. One conclusion that could be drawn from this census is that a lot of people might not know why Christmas is celebrated. 

The Christian faith calls for its followers to spread the Gospel, and since the Christian population in America continues to decrease, it’s possible that fewer people are hearing this message. People cannot be blamed for not knowing about something if they were never told.

Another issue lies in America’s capitalistic roots. Market transactions dominate the country’s economic activity, and every company makes substantial strides during the Christmas season. With this drive to boost profits, managers and owners tend to take God and religion out of the equation. In this day and age, if a business cannot appeal to everyone all the time, they’re likely going to see a dip in sales.

Unfortunately the Gospel is not an easy sell these days.

Today’s culture has placed a target on the backs of those who are open about their religion and faith — whether it’s Christianity, Judaism, or Buddhism. Some of those who aren’t people of faith have preconceived notions about organized religions. 

There are obvious obstacles that prevent Christmas from being celebrated and talked about from a faithful standpoint. But make no mistake: This is much bigger than just saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” at Starbucks. 

Christmas is a celebration and commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, who became the Word and the living God. For those who may not know, Jesus was sent to die for everyone’s sins, and because of that, everyone has the chance for salvation and eternal life in Heaven.

Celebrating Christmas for other reasons is perfectly fine — certainly, everyone loves receiving gifts. But it should be known that the gift of Jesus’ birth is the greatest present of all.