You don’t have to be Christian to love Christmas.
We all know the origins of the much-commercialized holiday and how the stories about the birth of Christ evolved from biblical scripture. They are preached in Christian churches and homes everywhere. Regardless of personal beliefs, everyone must admit it is a wonderful story about struggle, beauty and love. After all, who doesn’t rejoice in the birth of a newborn, divine or not?
For devout Christians, it provides a time of year to celebrate a momentous event. Non-Christians can, and often do, unite with Christians in celebrating one time of year as a holiday to join families, express love, to exchange symbols of friendship and devotion and to excite children.
I was raised an only child by a secular mother named Vivien who never read from a bible or preached religion to me. Yet, she was as spiritual as anyone without a label assigned. A table-top Christmas tree adorned our small apartment every December with traditional decorations and an ample supply of presents wrapped below. Dollar values mattered not.
She included me in the holiday spirit that abounded in schools, shopping places, playgrounds and the homes of friends. I was part of the festivities, parties and the spirit of giving. I learned to sing and play carols, which is some of the most beautiful music on planet Earth.
She taught, not by her words, but by her actions how important it is to love those who deserve being loved, no matter their religion.
She taught me the art of giving, to send cards and gifts, however small, to friends and family, whether they be Christians, Jews, atheists, or Hindu, black, white, boy or girl, young and old.
She taught me it didn’t matter if they sent cards and presents back.
She taught me the value of love messages, about respect, honor and forgiveness, and that if there was no other time to bestow these things, there always was Christmas.
Those who choose to openly vilify Christmas fail to understand they serve themselves no useful purpose, for it is not the religion that is derided, it is a spirit of harmony and love, regardless of the origin. And that’s not going away. I am particularly disappointed when company employees are admonished from publicly using the term “ Merry Christmas” and must greet people with “Happy Holiday.” Since when does political correctness apply to a celebration of love?
Christmas is a time to party, to express joy, to join with others and to share. Whether we realize it or not, we all do it because it is a holiday sanctioned by our government, not because our government is Christian, but because our elected leaders, under President Ulysses S. Grant in 1870, recognized the need for acknowledging a time every year to set aside for sharing love.
Many cultures celebrate the Christmas holiday, even those with Christian minorities, including Japan where Christianity is small but Christmas trees are decorated and gifts and plentiful.
I am not Christian, yet I care less if people want to erect displays of the birth of Christ. I see it as a symbol of love and peace, not necessarily of divine spirit. It’s not there to be challenged. We would all do well to listen to the primary message which transcends all peoples of the earth regardless of beliefs: Peace on earth, good will toward man.
Everyone can learn from that woman named Vivien who did in 1966. After all, Christmas is a holiday of love – and that’s worth celebrating by everyone.
Merry Christmas!
Possibly your best article yet. With moist eyes I wish you and Suz a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I came from very humble beginnings with both parents working to provide.. My parents, having moved from up north to south FL in order to find a better life for themselves and family were hard working folks and where both 2nd generation Americans.. We were Jewish and at the time, my sister and I were the only Jews in our school.. My parents taught us what it meant to be Jewish but also insisted that we participate with our Christian friends in their holidays and celebrations. At the time and in grade school, I remember learning and saying the Lords Prayer, The 23rd Psalm, reading daily verses from the bible and also singing On Ward Christian Soldiers.. We celebrated Chanukah but also rejoiced with our friends as they celebrated Christmas as well as other Christian related holidays. My point…I’m still Jewish as are my children and as an older adult I had and continue to have an understanding and respect of other cultures, ethnicities, religions, etc. So to all my Christian friends, I say Merry Christmas.. and Happy New Year..
PS.. Couldn’t help but throw in this post script…. My grandson who is now three and a half attended a day care that followed Christian doctrine…….One day, he came home and performed for his parents and us by sing the new song he learned, On Ward Christian Soldiers…We listened intently and of course clapped for the performance and then the kicker came out of his mouth at the end… ‘But I’m Jewish”…
I remember my brother and I being the only Jews in our school. Yes, I learned all the songs, performed in the Christmas recitals and choirs, and never talked about how we celebrated Chanukah at home. Yet as I grew older, classmates would tell me I shouldn’t be allowed to be in the Christmas program because I wasn’t a true believer. Even comments like “why should Neil Diamond (or Barbra Streisand) be allowed to make money on OUR holiday?” I used to dread the holidays because I knew it would set me up as separate from everyone else. Yet I never gave up my Judaism, and now, as I find myself drawing close to my ’70s, I am returning to Synagogue and reestablishing what I knew all along. I am not now, nor could I ever be, a Christian. The blood that runs through my veins harkens back the Matriarchs, Sarah, Rachel, Leah, and Rebecca. They live through me. What a gift. I wish my Christian friends Merry Christmas, and am grateful when one wishes me a Happy Chanukah. That is respect.
I’ve been watching, almost intrigued, the Hallmark Christmas dramas on TV and, if it were possible to non chemically develop diabetes would be in extremis. That the series is loaded with Jewish writers and producers, I ponder the significance of the practice of Christmas and the birth of Christ.
I the real world however, the real story of the birth of Christ has carried a far more dire tale. Almost from the start, the believers forgot the God they worshipped was a Jew. They did remember and have been reminded by their religious leaders every Easter since that the Jews killed their God. The Jews have been hated and persecuted ever since.
While most reliogionists claim a goal of peace and brotherhood, in fact their actions have been mayhem and murder. Organized religion has been responisble for more human grief than any other cause one can name. Any example of the hatred wrought in the name of religion is currently being demosntrated by the Muslim Brotherhood who kill even their own for the most minor infraaction. Yet they call themselves peaceful.
Mr. Bernbaum,
My prayers are with the many persons who are experiencing rough or traumatic events in their lives and find it difficult to appreciate this season as a time for joy, love, and peace.
I also pray that those who are angry with persons of faith and privately or publicly demonstrate their anger will find some blessings in this holiday season that will enable them to recognize it with the same attitude and appreciation as does Marshall Frank.
I sincerely wish you a happy holiday and to all of the readers a Merry Christmas.
Well said Marshall. And a Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Marshall,
You can say the best things in the best way! Merry Christmas and lots of good times in the next year.
Thankyou Marshall and Vivien for a very valuable life lesson.
Marshall,
Once again, thanks for your candor. We, the ones who read your blogs faithfully, understand the principles by which you live and I don’t know about anyone else, but PJ and I appreciate both you and them.
God Bless you and yours and we wish you the Merriest of Christmases.
Unlike many of your correspondents and the friends of your later years, I remember Vivian as though I saw her yesterday, and not a half century ago. She was a single mother, with a tight budget, whose main task was to raise to manhood a son, who did not always make it an easy job. His closest friends didn’t make it any easier.
I had a single mother, also, and we were “secularly Jewish”, if you get my meaning. We didn’t go to temple often, but we didn’t have a Christmas tree either. I lived in the same world as you and sang the “Messiah” with Mrs. DiNino’s chorus. It seemed as natural and comfortable to me as saying “Merry Christmas” does today. “Happy Holidays” cheers no one and fulfills no useful purpose.
I remember Vivian. When I see Ida Lupino, Barbara Stanwyck, Eve Arden, or similar seemingly tough cookies of the ’30s, I remember Vivian Melby Frank Strauss and miss her.
I remember the warm spirit of her home at Christmas and I remember the Christmas trees. I hope that she would agree with me as I say “let us have peace on Earth and extend good will to all.” Live and let live.
Merry Christmas to all who wish it, and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year to each and every one of us.”
Kudos good Captain:
Your viewers anticipate your articles next year with great excitement.
Health, peace and prosperity to you and yours.
Merry Christmas!
Yoda and the MAgnified View team.
Very nice, bless you and your family.
Marshall,
Like Lisa, I believe this may well be your best post. As always, you have said what you wanted to say in a way that holds the readers attention. I’ll be sharing this one on my other networks.
May God Bless those who have read your article for it exemplifies what Christmas is about. Thank you Marshall for your many wonderful blogs this year.
Marshall’s opening line, “You don’t have to be Christian to love Christmas..Is a noble
and profound expression of love, and that word needs definition; here’s mine:
LOVE IS… INTENSE GOODWILL… FOR OTHERS
reb
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Well done, Marshall. Christ was a man of love who taught us to love our enemies. As we celebrate His birthday, we remember the struggle everywhere of all mankind. May God bless all of us with peace and may we learn to love others as He loves us.
To “Just Me”
I Have Learned .. over the years to be selective… on who deserves my goodwill.
Some of those insane bastards in the middle-east say that “Allah is Our Objective, the Prophet our Leader, the Qur’an is Our Law, Jihad (Holy War) is Our Way, and Dying in the Way of Allah is Our Highest Hope.” (The Muslim Brotherhood Creed)
There’s 1.4 Billion of these hapless victims that are under the Discipline of Sharia Law,
and many of them see it as their religious duty to cut the non-believers head off !!!
Therefore, I feel no obligation to offer them my tolerance… or My Goodwill.– reb
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“Tolerance and Goodwill” are vastly different from “loving your enemies” which Christ taught to us. Blessings to you and yours.
I agree with you completely on this one! I grew up with Christmas trees in my house, without ever hearing the word God spoken in my house. It was not until I got in school and began reading and hearing about the meaning of Christmas, and singing the Christmas songs. My father would not walk inside a church, except when one brother was married in a Catholic church. All others of us were married by justices of the peace. My mother and I were invited to different churches in my home town, to attend weddings of daughters of our friends. (I even sang The Lord’s Prayer at one niece’s wedding—some of the children of my brothers and sister married church-going people, and some began to believe in God, more’s the pity!) Whatever displays they have in public places never bothered me—but it does disgust me when some of the “do-gooders” of our country announce loudly on TV that all the school shootings we have been having are caused by atheists, taking prayer out of schools, etc, etc.!! I wish I had a big foot to put in their mouths!
Pat
Ah, to openly say one is not a Christian. Mostly, I gave that up. It opens so many questions….generally by those ignorant of other choices.
Just as my not drinking alcohol seems a big deal, though all I do is say “no thank you.” Again, questions blurt out. The assumption is a person who does not “drink” is an alcoholic. Something must be “wrong.”. Of course only those with a dependence problem seem to care…they are legion.
So, I refreshed by your article. We aren't “nothing.”. We just aren't Christians. We are on the boat. Small tree, a few little gifts, and donations to special charities.
Merry Christmas.
Life is good
* Yes, life can be good if you’re fortunate enough to find the right partner. (I’m lucky!)
* Be aware & alert; be grateful for this unique nation of freedom & justice for all.
* Vigilance is the price we must all pay if we hope pass these gifts on to our children.
* “Ask not what this nation can do for you; ask what you can do for this great nation)**
* Extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice; I would remind, you that moderation
to the pursuit of justice is no virtue. – Senator Barry Goldwater, (r) Arizona (1963)
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** John F. Kennedy.. President (d), (1961)
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Wonderful post, Marshall. Caused me to reflect on my mother’s love always without condition or reservation. I miss her the most at this time of the year. You helped me remember and I thank you.
Merry Christmas to all.
Agreed!
I too, think this is one of your best articles Marshall. Enjoyed the sincere warmth and good thoughts. Merry Christmas…..and hopes for a peaceful year ahead.
Dear Marshall –
I sent this to everyone on my email list and you got many accolades for your well-written and thoughtful article. May you and Suzanne have a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy and healthful new Year!
Blessings……….Charlotte
Our website is undergoing a rebuild, but we want to wish you and yours a wonderful Christmas, and an even better New Year!!!
That is a beautiful article! Bless you!
Joe & Kathy in Conroe
OH, Ho – ho – ho!
MELE KaLeki-Maka, ya all… That’s Hawaiian for…. Merry Christmas, and yearning for
a better tomorrow, a better new year for all…
from an ever wistful old Snake Hunter… from eastern tennessee. – reb
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I agree! My family is Hindu and we love to spend Christmas with loved ones. At the same time we respect Christmas as a Christain Holiday too. I hope you everyone here has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
You too Marshall!