Christmastime

There is absolutely no day during the year that can generate such excitement and such business as December 25. Even though Santa Claus, the Christmas tree, gift giving and all the other trappings are important parts of the celebration, the central theme and reason for this special day centers around the birth of Jesus. The birth of Christ ushered in not only the Christian era but the most influential single day in American society each year.

Weeks and even months before December 25 arrives all the major department stores across our country have countdown days till Christmas. This certainly makes good business sense when you figure that we as Americans spend many billions each year on over 2 billion gifts. For many businesses, over 25% of their annual income is generated by sales related to the Christmas season. A poor Christmas season can literally send our economy into a tailspin. Strange how the birth of a tiny baby boy 2,000 years ago can have such a profound effect on our economy today; but He does.

In addition to the incredible amount of gifts we exchange each year, almost $1 billion will be spent each season on Christmas cards. And Christmas stamps and Christmas seals are as American as baseball and apple pie. Many millions of people spend hours on end addressing, writing and mailing their cards each year. The avalanche of cards and gifts is so great that our postal service warns us to mail them days and even weeks in advance to insure prompt delivery. Our faithful postmen are taxed to the fullest by the cards alone.

Another fascinating sociological effect the Christmas season has is to generate a special warmth and spirit of brotherly love throughout our land for the entire month of December. During this month our radio stations begin to serenade us with those wonderful Christmas carols and songs that make this season so special. Our television sets are also bombarded with Christmas specials galore. Every variety show is also guaranteed to have a yearly Christmas extravaganza.

More smiles are seen from our normally sad faces during the Christmas season than at any other time. More well wishes are given by more people than at any other time of year. It’s like no other part of the year—where good tidings and good cheer become the norm rather than the exception.

Sadly, the central reason for this wonderful bustle of activity and warm heartedness is usually placed in the background. The birth of Jesus is clearly the reason for the season, but the manger scene is often overwhelmed not by the spirit of giving but by the spirit of indulgence. Yet the Bible is still the driving catalyst, 2,000 years after one of its recorded events (the birth of Jesus), behind the most influential day in our culture.