What to do about the War on Christmas?

Many parents would like to teach their children the true meaning of Christmas, but too many people commandeer the religious festival for political ends while others create an obscenity called Black Friday.

Back in 1959 the John Birch Society (JBS), an organization defending the United States against communism and the secularization of Christmas, blamed the Jews for secularizing their holiday. Did you know over twenty popular Christmas songs were written by Jews including “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” by Johnny Marks and “White Christmas,” by Irving Berlin? The JBS claimed that Jews were taking Jesus out of Christmas and turning it into a non-religious holiday.

Then you have Black Friday incidents where consumers resort to violence over discounted flat screen TVs. In 2016 a shopper opened fire killing someone over a Walmart parking spot in Reno, Nevada. Last year a Black Friday shooting in a Missouri mall left a teen seriously injured. And recently, in Syracuse, NY inside a Macy’s store, two people were stabbed during a Black Friday incident.

Don’t forget the hubbub about bringing back the phrase, “Merry Christmas.” President Trump’s White House included a Christmas card inscribed with “Merry Christmas” the first time in years, fulfilling a pledge when he was running for office.

Even though it’s difficult to shield our children from the reality of the world outside our homes, the best way to raise a child is by being a positive role model for that child to emulate. The celebration of Christmas falls right into that niche. 

Explain to your child the history around Christmas. It was during the Middle Ages when a medieval monk set the date of the Nativity for December 25. This was done for political purposes. The fledgling Christian church was looking for converts and December 25 was the date of Saturnalia, a popular pagan holiday of feasting, goodwill, generosity to the poor, an exchange of gifts, and decoration of trees. (Sound familiar?) In actuality, the biblical account of Christ’s birth points to June 17 as the date, but that day wouldn’t garner converts, so December 25 became the birthdate of the Christian savior.

Emphasize the religious aspect of the holiday, if that is what you believe. Take your child to church and teach him about loving his neighbor, helping the homeless, and showing empathy for those less fortunate than himself. It’s always best to show than tell, so go to a food bank, and as a family, donate your time. Or perhaps volunteer at a homeless shelter and collect warm blankets and coats for those in need. Your child will soon realize that this is the true meaning of the holiday.

By setting an example and establishing family traditions that exemplify the holiday, you will be teaching your child that Christmas is the time of peace, not a war.