Making Meaning: Christmas
Greeting Royals,
It’s the eve of Christmas 2021 and I know many of us are probably not in celebratory spirits, it’s been a tough year for many. Yet we are thankful to God for what we do have as small as it might seem in light of the pain or struggles we might be facing. I have been quiet on this end for a bit, adjustments, plans, re-evaluations and the like has kept me away somewhat, but I’m here now and I have a thought.
Let’s talk about Christmas… of course. But Christmas in the sense of transitioning away from the family of origin and into one of your own. Whether this is through marriage, or moving away from home. Either way, this is a discussion worth having. Those of you who may have been following this blog and its many developments since it’s inception in 2012 (9 years wow), may or may not be aware of the fact that I am now married. Marriage has brought a lot of new developments in my life as is expected and you should expect that to be present in my musings. Today I find myself thinking about making meaning, more specifically when it comes to Christmas.
If you’re married this is a conversation you need to have with your partner, if you’re a single parent, divorced, single, remarried… you need to have a conversation with yourself and the significant others in your life. This conversation is about what is Christmas going to mean for you and your family. Yes of course from a Christian worldview (which is the foundation of what we do here), we know that Christ is what Christmas is about; it’s when we acknowledge and celebrate his birth. What I mean here is, how will you define that meaning in your new family, or new stage of your life, how will you honour that meaning in your own special way? The beauty of Christmas is the creativity, not just in terms of decorating, baking or coming up with the best gift ideas, but creativity in celebrating the Christ. There are a lot of different views on the topic of Christmas, on whether it should be celebrated at all, whether Christmas trees should be involved, or the amount of alcohol content in that fruit cake… that’s not what I am talking about today.
A key aspect of making meaning is understanding what part of the gospel message this season points to. And that is:
HE CAME.
So the question is, how are we going to use this time as couples, families, organizations, churches etc, to create unique rituals of connection that capture the true meaning that the season holds. To create unique rituals of connection with each other is part of the beauty of human connection, we connect best over shared rituals. Is it coming together over food? Or gifts? or Charity? Praise and worship? Dance and song? all of the above. What can you do as a family to make a Christmas meaningful to you, in a way that points to the fact that HE CAME.
By coming, he fulfilled prophecy and the process of our vindication began, because he came we are. How can we make meaning this Christmas. It’s not just about going through the motions or participating in activities mindlessly because we’ve always done that. We want to examine the motives behind it and refocus so that no matter what… Jesus is glorified. If you’re at a point in your life where you have moved on from your family of origin, or you’re just ready to make some meaningful adjustments to your life, then now is the time to make a decision about what rituals you would like to keep, what you would like to add, or what you can discard. Do not simply repeat practices if they hold no meaning for you. Those ritual creating years pre and post transition, can be truly exciting. Don’t miss it by just continuing practices that mean nothing to your new family, that you can’t fully explain to your children or partner. Your answer should be better than “that’s how mom did it!”.
It is so easy to get caught up in the commercialized version of Christmas that we can forget, ignore or become hostile towards the season. When what we really have before us as families is the opportunity to create rituals of connection which can last a lifetime and be instrumental in pointing our family to Christ as we come together. I guess what it really comes down to, is being intentional about the way you celebrate this season.
Be a blessing,
Kelly PW
Grace and peace to you, if you found this post helpful, then help it reach others by sharing. If you are reading this post we thank you for your support and we encourage you to subscribe to our mailing list so that you can stay up to date with new posts, offers and developments. Please like or leave a comment. Stay tuned for the release of the next book in the Gemstone Royals series: Kingdom Aflame.
Kelly is the founder of Royalty Press United. Author of the Gemstone Royals fantasy series, Twist of Faith and Crossroads. Counseling psychologist, proud Grenadian and devoted follower of Christ.
