The “Magic” of Christmas

As a parent, you end up making thousands of little decisions that you never really thought you’d have to make. One of them–a big one–is how you’re going to handle Christmas. And let me tell you up front, no matter what you choose, you’re going to get flack from someone about it. As Christians, my husband and I are firmly in the “Christmas is about celebrating Jesus’s birthday” camp. To this end, we’ve made a few choices that, to us, help keep the focus on what we feel is the true “magic” of Christmas.

First, it’s probably good to define that “magic” – and it’s simply this:

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. –John 1:9-14

Did you catch that? The Word became flesh! God became man and dwelt among us. Why? For the sole purpose of making it possible for us to have a relationship with Him. How do we have that relationship? Through His willing sacrifice on the cross and subsequent resurrection. That, that right there, is the magic of Christmas. That God loved us and sent us the Christ.

And so, to keep our focus where it needs to be, we don’t do Santa or the Shelf Elf or any of those things. Oh, sure, we play Santa, but if you ask my son if Santa is real he’ll tell you no. He’s know it’s just someone pretending. As for the Shelf Elf…well, I don’t want my kids being good because a doll is out of its box. I want them to be good because 24/7/365 God cares about the choices we make and we grieve Him when we misbehave. (All of us. As one who’s had to ask forgiveness from her children the past couple days as some external stress has bubbled out in the form of bad mommy moments, it’s a reminder for me as well.)

My friends get on my case. They say I’m depriving my kids of the magic of believing. And who knows, maybe I am. But at the end of the day, what’s most important to me is that they know I never willfully lied to them. So when they question, as they’re going to do, whether what mom and dad said about God being born in a stable–of a virgin for crying out loud–for the sole purpose of dying on the cross to forgive their sins is true, they won’t be able to say, “well, they also said Santa came down the chimney to leave me presents as a kid after watching to make sure I was good…and look how that turned out.”

I don’t condemn those who do Santa or the Shelf Elf – I think parents need to make their own decisions based on prayer and conscience. For us, keeping the focus on Jesus helps us keep the rest of the season in perspective and remember the true magic of Christmas.

For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life. -John 3:16