Merry X-Mas and Happy New Year!

I hope that everybody enjoyed their holiday break. Monday is just around the corner, which means time to go back to work. Christmas has come and gone and now it is on to 2010! I commend you all on your survival.

Before I start ranting to you, I invite you all to take a look at our personal blog if you are interested in catching up on the goings on in the life of Emily and myself during 2009.

As for today, I would like to take a minute or two to reminisce on yet another recently departed holiday season. Since, for us Americans, Christmas is “the big one” when it comes to holidays, there is always a lot to talk about. Christmas, originally beginning as a Christian religious holiday, has evolved over the years to meet the need of a religiously-diverse nation. Therefore, there are always plenty of opinions that get stirred up regarding what “Christmas is all about.”

To begin, allow me to share a story. I remember several years ago being cautioned by a seminary teacher to never write “Merry X-Mas.” Doing so, he said, would take Christ out of Christmas, and be an insult to the Savior. Imagine my surprise years later, when, while studying languages, I discovered that X is the first letter in Χριστός , that is to say Christ, in Greek. A bit more investigation, and I learned that the reason “X-mas” ever came about in the first place was to emphasize the Christ in Christmas, rather than to take Him out of it.

Every year, as the holiday season draws nigh, you hear heightened pleas from the Christian segment of our nation to not forget the reason for the season. They condemn the secular holiday that they feel has supplanted the religious meaning of Christmas.

While, as a Christian I see Christmas as a holiday of worship, I must admit that I am okay with the secular holiday as well. Coming from a mostly non-religious family, my concept of Christmas growing up had more to do with family, togetherness, and memories. I was certainly familiar with the story of Jesus in Bethlehem, and I knew all of the religious Christmas songs, these were just a few among many elements which made Christmas magical for me. Our Christmas traditions all focused on the family (a societal unit not exclusive to Christians, I might add) and could all be defined as “secular” in nature. However, I doubt even the Christian preachers would say that these elements of Christmas detract from the true meaning of the holiday.

Particularly as a Mormon, I suppose I feel that the Christian elements of Christmas should be part of life year round. If there is a need to turn one's thoughts back to Christ during the Christmas season, than I wonder, what has been happening during the rest of the year?

True, there is the factor of materialism to deal with. Worrying too much about decorations, shopping, etc., can detract from both the religious and family aspects of Christmas. But again, I wonder why we start caring so much about materialism so much more during Christmastime? It seems that materialism just as detrimental at any time during the year.

Since I live in the United States where there is no national religion and we all share a diverse mixture of religious (and non-religious) ideals and morals, I am happy that Christmas can be both a religious and a secular holiday for me. It is a time to reflect on another year gone by, and anticipation for a new year to come. It is a time for being with my family members, making more memories that bring happiness to my life. Yes, it is also a time to reflect on my religious worship and on Jesus Christ and His divine role in my life.

But, rather than being paranoid about Christmas being ruined by the heathens, as my X-Mas hating teacher did, let us all enjoy Christmas in our own way. Despite how it has evolved over the years, it is still something special and meaningful to millions of us with each passing year.

Merry X-Mas to you all, and a Happy New Year!