What is happening to the Celebration of Christmas?

I have driven around trying to find the Christmas Spirit demonstrated by the Christmas lighting of houses, decorated businesses and generally acknowledgement of the Reason for this Season.   We are loosing our Christmas Spirit!  

As more and more of Jesus (Christ) is taken out of Christmas, I have noticed that more and more of the grass roots celebration of Kindness, Joy, Peace and Love that accompanies Christmas is all but gone..  It saddens me to see this time of year being narrowed down to just a great BIG shopping and gift giving day.

This use to be the norm....This was hard to find...

Trying to find neighborhoods that are decorated to celebrate Christmas, is few and far between.  The last few years I would visit Encinitas because they had such great spirit and decorations.  This year, NOTHING!  I can only imagine that when you take the Reason for the Season out of Christmas and make it just a shopping holiday, then you loose the celebration.

The GREATEST Gift of all times was given in the Birth of Christ.  I am beginning to wonder...When you take Christ out of CHRISTmas, do we start to loose the true meaning of this time of year...?

Below are two links that tell the story, one from the Bible, and the other is everyday language.  This is Christmas, Jesus..

Gifts are given as a sign of honor, love, joy.  I know when I give a gift that is received with great joy and love, my heart is full.  But, when gift giving(crazy shopping) becomes something that causes unrest, pressure, stress ...  then we need to take another look at what is going on.  This is Merry CHRISTmas!

Last night, I was at the market.  The clerk asked me if I got all my shopping done.  I explained without family near, I tend not to shop.  I love my kids and grand-kids, I would love to spend Christmas with them, but being I live in another state, I opt out of falling into the holiday rush, craziness and then off to the Post Office. When I have lived near them, I have crocheted sweaters for them, I have crochet hats and scarves, and of late...I wrote a story with all of them included and last year I wrote love letters to each family.  I spent time, thought and love creating my gifts and loved doing it.

Don't miss-understand me...I love shopping but I do not love the craziness.  I love gift giving but not to just give a gift.  I feel this is a time of year to give something from the heart and not just give a gift because.....

Christmas is a Holiday that wraps up the heart.  My heart and my love is my gift to you, to my friends and my family.  I love you!  I love Jesus!  Lets keep the LOVE of Jesus in the celebration of CHRISTmas!

Smile and spread the love of CHRISTMAS!

Catherine

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2:1-20
http://www.whychristmas.com/story/the_christmas_story.shtml