What immediately enters your mind when you think of Christmas? Food, presents, laying down… oh and family time. What’s happened to being grateful, living in the moment and attending midnight mass? Unheard of in today’s generation.
Indoctrination here is key. The decline in appreciating the meaning and concept of wholesome family time without the bells and whistles has shifted; the importance in gathering together only for a reason. Why do we come together once a year to spend time with loved ones? Materialism. Unfortunately, unless there’s a somewhat conscious beneficial undertone, almost like a return for what you’re gathering together for once a year, the numbers drastically diminish due to unforeseen circumstances / non justifiable, invalid reasons. The void is then filled, almost plastered over, masked by sharing smiles over the unwrapping of gifts for example.
Having a jam packed day or holidays like Christmas, allows nuances to be temporarily ignored. Until the next year that is. What happened to the true meaning of Christmas? Simplified and stripped back with Christianity as the focus? I’ve heard many times, “midnight mass it sounds boring; I’d rather be in bed or having an alcoholic beverage to ring in the special day with”. An hour of your time, with no expectation or gratification other than having being in an environment where christ is recognised and embraced – the true meaning of Christmas as the focus for just an hour. There are 23 hours remaining, what’s the fuss about? The issue is the lack of outcome – incentive from it. The atmosphere, soul connecting and cherishing moments that truly celebrate Christmas are simply a waste of time. But partying or watching Elf the movie are favourable.
Touché.
Society has made it very difficult for us to savour or even acknowledge moments without an underlying reason. You leave church with a sense of peace, meaning and gratitude. Unlike a swanky restaurant, all you leave with is the receipt! Oh and worse off financially. Church is one of the few places where who you are, what you do and what you have doesn’t matter. We’re all equal. The appreciation of life itself and all the beauty around us highlighting everything we should be grateful and thankful for is emphasised more than any other place on earth. All for no cost, expectation nor explanation.
Glazing over cracks or in-discrepancies like a honey glazed ham is only temporary. I’m sure it’s a lovely treat, filling not only your tummy but a sense of fulfilment for the given, specified, timed moment. Christmas is a time for coming together and forgiveness but since it’s without gain, why leave it until the holidays annually?
Learning and categorising your priorities will make the holidays all the more worthwhile and seamless. The time of year shouldn’t make you have a personality transplant for a day or two then go back to reality. In your soul and heart it could feel like Christmas everyday if you simply understand and decipher the importance of the loved ones around you. The holidays is like a Christmas pudding… Here me out! You mix all the separate ingredients, allowing it to mature over time. Then on the special day, you pour over either hot rum, brandy or sherry and ignite the spirit with a lighter. Flambé! The finishing touch of togetherness is Christmas. Don’t let external factors sway that.
You make the moment, don’t let the moment make you.
What do you think? How do you celebrate Christmas? Do you think Christmas is only capitalised due to monetary reasons? Have we lost or misunderstood the true meaning of the holidays? Or do you absolutely loathe Christmas? Comment below your thoughts!
Beauty File 
Would I miss it if it were gone? and why. I like my answers to these questions. They remind me what Christmas means to me.
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Aww I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed reading this post and your answers to the questions asked!!🎄🤗🤍
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A very important and well written message. I recently delved into the real Jewish Holiday during which Christ was born, There is an article in my Blog, Word Imagery on the subject. I now have a different perspective, on the whole tree and December holiday experience.
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Aww thankyouu so much!! Ooh I’m giving that a read as we speak as I find your thoughts enlightening!🤍
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Thanks for the encouragement Antonia.
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Today, Christmas is all about commercialism and has almost nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. So sad, Antonia. 🙏🏻✝️😔 Well written.
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I 100% agree. It’s all about gifting and the prices people choose to pay soar every year. It’s extortionate and quite frankly, inane.
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Legalised Extortion… 😠
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Christmas is wonderful holiday with specific cozy atmosphere. We have beautiful family moments at this time. Great time to Jesus glorifying.
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It’s the best time of the year in my opinion. Creating memories and moments with your closest loved ones whilst remembering the birth of Jesus Christ🤍
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I am totally mesmerized by the illustration you used at the top of the blog post.
While the streets and avenues don’t look the same, the Church itself looks like the spitting image of Saint Stephen’s Anglican Church in Edmonton Alberta Canada that I attended as a kid with my parents.
Although the scene isn’t the same either because Saint Stephen’s Edmonton was apparently built in the 1920s and this scene with the horse drawn sleigh and style of dress looks like a scene out of the 1890s.
Although my dad and I later attended a Church closer to where we live, we were saddened when in 2009 the very liberal Anglican bishopess of Edmonton closed the Church because she didn’t like their Anglo-Catholic tradition.
But my favourite memories of Christmas are actually Midnight Mass at the Church.
All the lovely and wonderful Christmas carols being sung, all the lit candles 🕯️, the music, the singing and the Christmas Nativity crèche with Mary, Joseph, the Baby Jesus, the Wise Men and the shepherds and the sheep 🐑 and the donkeys 🫏.
It made for a memorable experience.
Although I always enjoyed opening presents 🎁 under the Christmas tree 🎄, my favourite memories under the tree are of setting up a small Nativity crèche with my parents and my sister and putting up small statues of Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus and the Wise Men and the shepherds in the crèche under the tree 🎄 .
I remember when I was very small, in the days before political correctness, going down to Edmonton City Hall where there was a large Nativity crèche with real live animals and the donkeys 🫏 coming over to the fence so my sister and I could pet them.
Edmonton City council later stopped the display on the grounds it might be offensive to members of other religions.
But my favourite memories of Christmas were of the Midnight Mass.
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Aww thankyouu, it is beautiful.
Ooh I’ll have to google Saint Stephen’s Anglican Church in Edmonton and see if I can spot the similarities!
Aww that must be a lovely memory🤍.
It’s always deeply saddening when churches close down, as they have such meaning and relevance.
Midnight mass never gets old! It’s probably my favourite part of Christmas and a highlight when attending church on the whole! ⛪️
Gifting will always have its place, but the memories involving precious moments spent with your loved ones are priceless and what Christmas is all about🤍.
An ever so wonderful trip down an incredibly special Christmassy memory lane🥹 so very touching!🤗🤍🎄
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