Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Victorious Living

Home
Family, Parenting and Religion
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Last updated on: December 23, 2021 at 5:00 am by Victorious Living

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year 2021-12-13T18:01:48-05:00 Victorious Living

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

So, Christmas is a couple days away, but I doubt you need me to remind you of that. Here in New York City, much of our daily surroundings are transformed for the Christmas season. Many call it “the most wonderful time of the year”.

I have noticed over the past several years that the craze around Christmas seems to be growing. There used to be jokes about starting Christmas festivities before Thanksgiving. Now, it is before Halloween. There is something inside many of us (perhaps most at this point) that long to stretch this most wonderful season of the year as long as possible.

The Bells Are Ringing

What is interesting about all of this is that it is totally manufactured. What I mean is, although Christmas Day is one specific date of the year, the Christmas season is largely a creature of our own making.

I think one of the great values of Christmas is that we kind of need to be jarred into merriment. We spend so much of our time feeling down, disgruntled, angry, and overwhelmed by the ills of human living. We need something to swoop in, transform our homes and parks and general mindset, so that we can take a break from the angst and sink our teeth into some merriment.

This is a conscious decision on our part. We decide to lay aside the angst. The season does not force us into it. We choose it.

My point is that the real power of Christmas merriment is not the practical circumstance of a recognized holiday. It is our active choice. If there is a bell that rings in the Christmas season, each of us ring it. We make the choice (and, like I said, people are making the choice earlier and earlier). The merriment, then, is not so much ushered in by the calendar as by our own individual choice.

Season To Season

There is a difficult balance to be found between celebrating the uniqueness of the season and carrying the truths it reveals into all seasons.

On the one hand, this choice of merriment, of joy, of gratitude, is available to us year round. And it would be easy, if naive, to say we can choose this perspective at any time of the year. But on the other hand, there is something to the uniqueness of specific seasons. There is a power in being jarred into merriment that might otherwise be lost if we try to pretend every day is special in the way Christmas is special.

What I recommend is a conversion principle. The holiday system in America attempts to do this very thing, but in a commercial sense. You buy Christmas gifts, Valentine gifts, Fourth of July decorations, etc. So, every month or so there is something new and special, but the net result is the same – you are spending money to celebrate.

This is a perversion of an otherwise healthy principle. We can, and ought, to carry our merriment with us throughout the year while also allowing the unique forms it takes to be celebrated for their individuality. The key is to understand it is all an extension of a better perspective, true appreciation for life.

The danger comes when we become dependent on one season or another (just like so many become obsessed with one circumstance or another). Or when we become addicted to this transitive merriment, but in a superficial sense (the very thing the advertising agencies capitalize on).

If we can navigate those dangers, we will discover an incredible truth. We can choose to be thankful on Thanksgiving, merry on Christmas, adoring on Valentine’s Day, nostalgic on Memorial Day, etc. etc. And, most crucially, we can discover that this is the same, consistent choice, to choose a perspective of truth – not one that ignores the trials and tribulations, but one that contextualizes them.

In this way, Christmas survives year round as an expression of truth, the best parts of who we are.

the most wonderful time of the year

truth

Previous Post

December 21, 2021

Getting Used to Four Seasons

Next Post

December 28, 2021 Hope, Confidence, Chaos

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Choices Conflict Resolution Culture Change Emotions Failure Faith Fear Freedom V Growth Healthy Communication Hope Identity Influence Leadership Learn Mistakes Mood Curve Ownership Perspective Power Relationships Self-Awareness Self-Governance Systems Thinking Three Things You Control Transformational Leadership Trust Truth Uncategorized Values Vision

Select a Month January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Elohim" mean in Hebrew?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Creator God Holy One The Almighty

Books by This Author Books by Victorious Living

See All Titles »