Merry Christmas, My Love.
It really has always been about you.
The Christmas season is traditionally a time of reflection and to honor those we love. But who do you love and why?
The origin and traditional values of Christmas, before it became heavily commercialized, are deeply rooted in religious and cultural traditions. It's primarily a Christian holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, but its celebration has incorporated a variety of customs from different cultures over the centuries.
The core of traditional Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. This is a time of religious observance for Christians, with many attending church services, reenacting nativity scenes, and reflecting on the spiritual messages of Christianity — such as redemption, salvation, and unconditional love.
Many Christmas customs have been influenced by winter solstice celebrations and pagan traditions from various cultures. For example, the Roman festival Saturnalia was a time of merrymaking and exchanging of gifts, and the Germanic Yule tradition included burning logs and recognizing the return of longer daylight hours. These elements were later incorporated into Christmas celebrations, symbolizing warmth, light, and life.
Historically, Christmas was a time of feasting, similar to how many cultures have winter festivals that celebrate the end of harvest and the availability of food. This was a period when work slowed down, and people took the opportunity to celebrate with lavish meals, music, dancing, and games.
The tradition of giving during Christmas has roots in the story of the Magi and St. Nicholas, among others. It's a time for remembering the poor and less fortunate — embodying the spirit of generosity through acts of charity, kindness, and giving gifts. This tradition reflects the teachings of Christianity on compassion and giving to others.
From its earliest celebrations, Christmas has been a time for communities and families to come together. This might include communal gatherings, singing carols, and sharing in the festivities. It's a time for reunion, forgiveness, and expressing love and appreciation for one another.
Traditional decorations include evergreens, holly, and ivy — which symbolize eternal life, rebirth, and protection in various cultures. The Christmas tree, originally from Germanic traditions, became a symbol of life and hope in the midst of winter's darkness. These decorations were part of the broader observance of bringing warmth and light into the home during the darkest days of the year.
Before the advent of modern commercialism, Christmas was a more solemn, religiously centered festival with deep cultural significance, reflecting wider societal values of generosity, community, and hope. While these values still persist today, the focus for many has shifted more towards the commercial and material aspects of gift-giving and celebration.
What does it mean to live the example of Christ?
Every religious organization and institution has it’s own interpretation of what this means, with slight to broad variations in their teachings. The one truth that all faiths share and that unites mankind is that at the core reality that we all bleed red.
In flesh and blood animals feel. This is the unconscious awareness that’s always guiding you. Humans are the most evolved species in the universe and as such, it is our responsibility to be good stewards of our planet, even when things get scary and uncomfortable.
This Christmas, following a very strange and exhausting few years, I am inspired to share more of my truest self nature with you in hopes of helping you yourself find a deeper sense of peace and purpose in your life.
Introducing the official Growth Seekers Welcome podcast.
On this podcast friends and I discuss the real marvels, miracles, and struggles of life and how to move through them with a greater sense of grace and peace.
No topics are off-limits and I will do the very best I can through these episodes to hold your heart safe while your soul expands. Our collective ancestral wounds are embedded in our DNA and we’re living through a very interesting and complex time period of “awakening”.
It is my sincerest hope that someday soon we all get to realize the vision that peace-seeking visionaries have fought for and that we all come to know peace within this lifetime.