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Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? #14

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Although the following items were not selected for publication in the Advent-Christmas family-oriented "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" they are worthy to be shared.

If you publish any of these, please give credit to the author and to "Simple Living Works! Visit SimpleLivingWorks.org."

 

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How We Handled Gift Giving

Thought you might also be interested in how my husband and I handled gift giving to our three children and their spouses and the eight grandchildren (ages 4-13) last Christmas, so I have included a copy of the letter we sent them, patterned on the ideas in the "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" booklet. Along with the letter to each of the three families, we sent the cute gift cards from the Heifer Project International to each of the grandchildren, together with pictures and stories from HPI's magazine "World Ark" illustrating the gifts of rabbits, ducks and bees. We did this also for the six grandnieces and nephews (similar ages) who were visiting at Christmas. We wondered how this would be accepted.

We were pleased to find that it was appreciated by all. One granddaughter who "got" a rabbit said, "I want to see and pet my rabbit. I want to name my rabbit, but what if the kid who gets it gives it another name?" - all said with great goodwill, but wanting very much to personalize it. The other granddaughter who "got" a rabbit said, "Oh, I've always wanted a rabbit," but was most understanding when it was explained that "her" rabbit would go to some needier kid. The granddaughter who "received" the bees wrote a thank-you note saying, "I've thought about those bees a lot." I think it made them all think more about Christmas giving. The "Whose birthday..." booklets were distributed in our church and several were interested in our method of gift giving.

Thanks for all you do to help us know how to consume less and give more.

Sincerely, Lucile Carman, Bloomington, IN


Christmas, 2000


Dear Robin, Aly, Kara, Jamie, David, Lisa, Anna and Andrew,

Christmas is one of our favorite holidays; it's such a fun and happy time! There are beautiful lights and homes are all decorated and we like to make some of those decorations; there are such good things to eat- cookies, candies, snacks-yummmmm! and we have fun making these treats, too; the sparkling tree; special carols and songs, pageants and stories; families getting together, special parties; some set up the Christmas manger scene figures; we send and receive pretty greeting cards. There's a feeling of love and goodwill in the air, not just for our family and friends, but also for others we may not even know.

If we were to ask you what Christmas is all about, what would you say? Lots of people would say, "Presents! Presents!" and they'd be right in one way, but not in the way most people think of presents today. Let us remind you of a couple of stories.

The first Christmas was 2000 years ago and started with a very big present. That first Christmas was the birthday of a baby boy names Jesus. His dad was an ordinary carpenter. In some ways Jesus seemed like just an ordinary kid in an ordinary family. At that time some wise men who studied the stars saw an extraordinarily big star and thought that was the sign of the coming of a very important person, so they went in search and were led to the baby Jesus; there they bowed down to him and gave him gifts, as they would have for any important person in those days. His parents must have been very surprised, but they were probably very glad for the gifts, maybe using them for the expenses of an unexpected, long and hard trip they had to make.

When Jesus grew to be a young man, he became a teacher and a healer. By the many stories he told and the kind way he acted, he showed people how to love each other. Many think that Jesus was a very special present from God to everyone in the world. People who loved him wanted to give him gifts like the wise men did. Do you know what he told them? He said, "I have everything I need. But there are others who are hungry and thirsty, who don't have a place to stay at night nor enough clothes to wear, those who are sick or in jail and need a friendly visitor. If you help people like that, then you have given me a gift, too." That's the kind of present Jesus wanted.

About 600 years after the first Christmas, there was a pastor of a church in the city of Myra in southern Turkey whose name was Nicholas. He was a very kind man, a follower of Jesus, and concerned about the needs of the people of his town. He made up a plan whereby he asked those who had plenty to give him things needed by those who were poor, which he then distributed anonymously. The giver never knew to whom the gift was going and the receiver never knew from whom the gift came, yet needs were met - it was like a wonderful miracle! He became known as Saint Nicholas all over Europe; the Dutch called him Santa Claus!

That idea of Santa Claus has changed. Now we expect Santa Claus to bring us piles of presents we want and we think we should give piles of presents others want whether they are needed or not. It's strange - if the first Santa Claus were to visit our homes today, he wouldn't be bringing gifts, but asking for our help. Yes, Christmas is about giving presents, but in a different way than we're used to now.

This Christmas Grandpa and I would like to change the way of our giving to better follow what St. Nicholas and the Christmas Birthday Boy would have wanted. So, this year, through Heifer Project International to poor families around the world, we have sent a trio of rabbits, one each in the name of David, Lisa and Aly; two flocks of ducklings (10-40 in a flock), one each in the names of Kara and Robin; three hives of bees (12,500 bees in each hive), one each in the name of Andrew, Anna and Jamie.

In the names of your moms and dads we have sent money to the Person-to-Person program at the CMC Hospital, Vellore, India, to help sick and destitute patients who otherwise might not be treated.

We love each of you very, very much. And loving means giving, so this new plan doesn't mean that we will never be sending you presents! There will be lots of times on birthdays, other holidays or "just because we love you" days to send you gifts. And, if you come to our home for Christmas, all the fun and lovely parts of Christmas will still be there - and even the stockings will be hung! The presents under the tree will be for the Birthday Child, but the Christmas spirit will still be in our hearts.

Grandpa Bob and Grandma Lu (Bob and Lucile Carman)


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A Gift from the Kindness Economy

by Joy E. Dickerson

For the past several years, but especially since I took the Earth Institute's voluntary simplicity course, I have struggled to add more meaning and less stuff to my life. At the holiday season in particular, I wrestle with this problem. I don't need any more stuff. I have or can get virtually anything I want or need. But I still feel that giving is important. The open letter below is a solution I'm experimenting with this year. I invite you to join me in promoting the giving of kindness.

 

Dear Family and Friends:

If you plan to give me a gift for the holidays this year, please let it be a gift from the "kindness economy" instead of the "money economy." Consciously plan and do one nice thing. Then say to yourself, "This kindness is my gift to Joy. " Then write down what you did and mail it to me. My heart will be warmed with the thought that kindness is increasing. My mailbox will be filled with excitement. I'll hang your kindness on my holiday tree to open on that festive morning.

Your kindness doesn't need to be a derivation or a sacrifice. It doesn't have to entail great planning or expense. And it doesn't have to cost more than a stamp. Your kindness won't clutter up or pollute our Earth. I guarantee that it will be just exactly the right style, size and color. It will be a gift from your heart that warms mine.

So please do a kindness, write it down, and mail to me for the holidays. I can't wait to learn what happens.

Love, Joy

(from the December / January 1999 Simply News)

 

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What My Heart Ached for . . .

Christmas has never been my favorite holiday, for it only left me stretched, weary and lacking in peace and joy. I was blessed to discover your catalog, materials and web site. I especially enjoyed reading about the adaptations people have made over the holidays. How good it was to read about people who felt like I did in regard to Christmas and the grand materialism emphasis the world gives it.

I include a couple ideas that have helped me build into Christmas what my heart ached for -- simplicity and a deeper focus on Christ and his ministry of servanthood.

First, I give my children three presents, like Jesus received. One is homemade. This year my husband made each of our four daughters a stable out of driftwood, and on the back of each I wrote, "We all need a STABLE background".

Second, I asked each of our girls and husband in a letter written in early November, to make MY gift, a gift to a needy missionary or a our local rescue mission. We all swelled with tears when my oldest two girls gave a contribution to the young minister we support. My husband also gave a loving gift to our rescue mission, which clothes, feeds and meets the spiritual need of the residents. How freeing these acts were for me as at 55 I have all of the basics I need and then some.

Judy Kozar, Brookfield, WI [Staff: website, some as filler in booklet]



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Whose Birthday Is It Anyway? Ideas

from Elaine Wilburt, Easton, MD

Advent Centerpieces

Manger--Ask family members to write each day's good deed on "straw" made of construction paper. Place the straw in the manger.

Tree--Decorate a small tree with ornaments, one per family member each day for good deeds done.

Share at dinner, during daily devotions, or at breakfast what the deeds were.

Christmas Nails

Using two-penny nails and thin satin ribbon, make Christmas nails. Make a loop out of an 8" length of ribbon and glue it onto the top of the nail. Wrap another 8" length of ribbon around the top of the nail to hide the loop and tie the ribbon into a bow. Include the following saying and give these ornaments as gifts. "When on your tree this nail you see, remember Christ died for you and me."

Family Craft Day

A friend of ours always holds a family craft day during Advent. All of her family members gather to make ornaments and other crafts to give away to friends. Not only do they enjoy fellowship with one another, they make wonderful keepsakes and give of their talents instead of simply buying gifts.

Advent Calendar

Using poster board and construction paper, create a large Christmas tree. Using wrapping paper, cut out balls and other ornaments. During dinner, devotions or breakfast, ask one family member to share a good deeds of the day or the day before. Write it on the underside of the "ornaments" and decorate the calendar. Or, decorate the tree with ornaments and number them on the front. On the underside, write in good deeds. Examples, clean your room; hug a friend; sing carols at a hospital.

Pine Cone Bird feeder

Supplies: Pine cones, peanut butter, bird seed, yarn, scissors, two baking sheets or pans, spoon

Directions:

 

Questions for Children:

Where was Jesus born? What animals were present? What do you think the stable was like? Have you ever been in a barn? How do you think Jesus wants us to treat animals? Read Genesis 1 and 2.

Prayer: Jesus, Thank you for the animals that you created. Help us to care for them. Amen.


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TWO BABIES

(A Christmas Story)

submitted by Lois Brokering

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage.

They related the following story in their own words:

It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear, for the first time, the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp

every word. Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. (No colored paper was available in the city.)

Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States. The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat -- he looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project.

As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at this completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately, until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger.

Then Misha started to ad-lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did.

But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift" And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me." "So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him---for always."

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed.

The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him-FOR ALWAYS. I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

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A Live Nativity

by Laurie Burke

This Christmas was unique. Although I did succumb to some of the consumerism in buying for my family, I had peace and even time for reflection for the first time in years. Part of this was due to my saying 'no' to performing in Christmas eve and other holiday performances. As a singer, I have spent many holiday seasons rehearsing and performing through New Years and I always felt cheated! (What was that? Oh, Christmas?)

But another change was the nature of our worship experiences. Going to church has been of central importance for our family, but this year was more focused and satisfying because we actually experienced Advent, the 'Coming.'

I've always had an Advent calendar and tried to have family readings each week, but they never really went anywhere, probably because we were doing it in isolation. This year, however, we were part of a church where the Sundays of Advent were counted and each week we heard the events leading up to the birth of Jesus. It was vivid and meaningful to celebrate the coming of Christ as a process of community celebration and anticipation.

During this time of waiting there was another Advent of a personal kind. A neighbor and I wanted to have a neighborhood party. In a previous year, we had gone carolling to an elderly home with not much "success." The people were happy we were there but had so much advantage and wealth around them that they seemed satisfied without us so I did not feel a need to return there. This year I was overwhelmed with my teaching schedule and other concerns and had planned a very simple neighborhood get-together. However, my friend seriously wanted to go carolling again! I dreaded it. But somehow I committed myself.

Now, I had to choose where to go. There are several elderly homes and rehabilitation centers in our town. I knew of one though, where I'd gone for a hymn sing several years ago where not many people went. So we met on the appointed night, only three families but with great spirit (theirs more than mine.) I had visited earlier and knew there would be an upstairs mobile group gathered to sing and then a downstairs Alzheimers group, some mobile and some bed-ridden.

"Have you visited me in prison and when I was sick?" I could hear Jesus asking. "Not lately," I had to answer. But I was a little afraid of singing downstairs. I knew Alzheimers patients often remembered songs from their past, but would they really enjoy our being there? And more pressingly, could I afford the sadness I would feel? My mother had died after years of suffering and I had seen enough of it.

Only a few persons were waiting for us when we arrived. The time had been miscommunicated so some of the nurses went to get more people. Finally we were able to hand out the photocopied carols and proceeded to have a sing-along. People were happy with us and afterwards several people from our group talked with the patients.

Meanwhile, I gathered the small group of us that would go downstairs. My son was with me; I was proud of his great attitude about all this. His strong voice and calm presence were added blessings. The halls were quiet and the atmosphere was that of a hospital. I felt like we were intruding. We knew there was a common room and so we started our carolling there. "Joy to the World" (when you cannot remember who you are?)

But they started singing with us! Especially one cheerful lady, who robustly sang the first verse and snatches of the next. When it was over, she thanked us and we (with hesitation on my part) went around to shake hands and greet each other. To my amazement, many looked into my eyes and smiled. I hadn't expected this.

Jesus was looking at me! I had never seen his face before so clearly. When we sang at the individual rooms, people looked up and what was a sad stillness in their faces became an animated awareness and the most incredibly welcoming smiles. Many waved vigorously from their beds. One woman raised her arm in a victory gesture.

Another woman at the end of the hall was so still I hesitated to sing. But her door being opened meant that she had wanted us to stop at her room so we began. As we sang, she smiled and suddenly it seemed as though I was looking at myself. She seemed so familiar; I had seen that smile before - on the face of my mother as she lay on her hospital bed. They are real people just like us and those we love.

As I left, I told several of the women that I would come back. "I hope so," they each said. I wondered if they believed me. When I left there, I was a changed person. My heart would always have more room now because of these precious, welcoming people.

A couple of days later, our family prepared to attend midnight services at our church. It was mystical to wait through the evening for our departure, as if we were waiting for the birth of the baby. Although we had attended midnight services before, this time we were going as part of a community.

Then late at night it happened. From out of the dark many of us, some friends and many strangers, gathered at the altar and lit candles and watched the ancient cross process and sang "Silent Night." Were we not in concert with the souls before us and with the first family of our faith? "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight."

The next gift came after Christmas, while our small artificial tree still stood. (Because the season was not over!) It was Epiphany, the 'Showing.' I had never been conscious of the meaning of the word before. But now it was Epiphany Sunday and another great surprise occurred. It seemed as though we were celebrating with the Wise Ones and bringing the gifts of ourselves in dedication to the Christ Child. It was happening now. We were showing the one who is shown that we love him and that we dedicate ourselves to somehow follow him in this time and place. There were no shoppers on the highways and no signs that it was Christmas on the outside, only on the inside. It was quiet and peaceful, like awaking on a clear morning, refreshed and full of hope. This was the "second Christmas." I received the gift that I was not a loner nor was I lonely. We were all in this together.

A few days later, we attended an Epiphany Lessons and Carols where we heard beautiful singing and words of remembrance for what was and is happening, as if it were one great circle of events with no then only now! There are many more Sundays of Epiphany and they go all the way to Lent.

Christmas is following me and calling me and taking me all the way to the end. Where the manger is also a hospital bed and the star shines out of eyes that smile and hearts that sing with more courage than I can imagine. "Oh come to us, abide with us, our dear Emmanuel." May this be the Christmas that never ends.

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Alternative Christmas 101

Maril Crabtree

Inspired by the Simple Living communications on alternative giving, I took a bold step last year and decided to include my entire extended family in a discussion about how we could choose to do something different. Since they lived in several states and encompassed a broad range of preferences on how to celebrate Christmas, I approached the task with trepidation.

I began with an e-mail to everyone: "I'm starting the dialogue early this year. I know that we all have our own ideas about gift-giving but maybe these thoughts will help us find consensus, if we want to try something different this year. Please share your thoughts!" I copied and sent along the article by Harriet Pritchard that began "A gift is a gift . . . is a gift. . . is a gift."

The e-mails flew back and forth. My adult son, who began making his own pottery this year, wrote, "I think we should all give pottery to each other!" I replied that I would welcome homemade gifts. My 86 year old mother-in-law sent a lengthy e-mail about what she didn't want to receive as a gift, including donations in her name. I affirmed her willingness to speak her truth.

Soon all of us chimed in with creative gift ideas that were both meaningful and simple. The two "winners" were: (l) a gift of a family photograph already in your possession, one with a special memory attached, perhaps with a writing about that memory; or (2) a gift of a used book that somehow expressed what we wanted to say to the person receiving it. No "ground rules" were set, except that individual family members could choose one or both ideas, and that no other gifts would be exchanged.

As the days passed, I found myself experiencing a new spaciousness to the holiday season. Instead of making endless lists of gifts and trooping through malls looking for things people might like, I roamed through used bookstores - a much more pleasant venture. Books that seemed suitable for various family members almost leaped off the shelves. I relaxed into the season in a new way, free from the anxiety surrounding gift-buying that had plagued me for so many years.

Two weeks before Christmas, all my "shopping" had been done and I had a wonderful time wrapping them in beautiful pictures from old calendars - just the right size for most books. Inspired by my newfound freedom, I decided to create a special booklet of some of my writings for each family member, to go along with their book. I had wanted to do this in previous years but never found the time.

Our gift exchanges were joyous and peaceful. Each book was a treasured gift. My mother-in-law gave each of us a special card that she had created and asked us to make a wish for ourselves for the coming millenium. She collected the cards and will give them back to us, she says, at the end of the year. From my sister I received a beautiful framed photo that brought back a special memory; from my daughter-in-law a book that recalled, with humor, my Southern heritage.

And my son? He gave us his best pottery creations to date, "memory bowls," each uniquely created to hold whatever family memory or treasure we wanted to place in it.

Freedom from the tyranny of gift-buying, gift-wrapping, and gift-giving - the tyranny of living up to some cultural expectation of what Christmas "should" be like - gave me a new freedom to experience the joy and diversity of who we are as a family. I can hardly wait to see what we decide, together, to do next year!

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The Twelve Days of Christmas

People often think of The Twelve Days of Christmas as the days preceding the festival. Actually, Christmas is a season of the Christian Year begins December 25 and lasts thru January 6 -- the Day of Epiphany -- when the church celebrates the revelation of Christ as the light of the world and recalls the journey of the Magi.

From 1558 until 1829, people in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly. During this era someone wrote 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' as a kind of secret catechism that could be sung in public without risk of persecution.

The song has two levels of interpretation: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church. Each element in the carol is a code word for a religious reality.

  1. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ.
  2. The two turtledoves are the Old and New Testaments.
  3. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.
  4. The four calling birds are the four Gospels.
  5. The five gold rings recall the torah (Law) the first five books of the Old Testament.
  6. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation.
  7. Seven swans a-swimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit.
  8. The eight maids a-milking are the eight beatitudes.
  9. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the spirit (Gal. 5).
  10. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments.
  11. Eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful disciples.
  12. Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the 12 points of belief in the Apostles Creed.

There you have it, the HIDDEN meaning of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and the secret behind the song.

Received this from a friend and it gave new meaning to the song we sing at this time of the year.

Peace is not a season -- it's a way of living!

Happy and Holy Holidays to you and yours! -- Lois Brokering, author of "Christmas Angels"

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Reducing Christmas Shopping

What we did to cut down Christmas shopping. In our family there are three natural groups: 1) aunts and uncles 2) cousins 3) grandchildren. Our scheme was that the aunts and uncles divided up the grandchildren and bought $20- $25 presents. One child, one present. The cousins used a grab bag $20 gift, each male brought for a male, each female brought for a female. Financially it worked out well. The more mature and more affluent aunts and uncles bought more presents. The newly married or raising-young-families cousins only had to buy one gift per person.

It turned out well that each person (cousin or grandchild) got one gift. The aunts and uncles decided they don't need any more stuff.

I hope this is the kind of idea you are looking for. Marjorie Vander Wagen


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A Christmas Brunch

Last Christmas, my family decided to forego our traditional dinner of ham with all the trimmings. Instead, we ate a simple brunch. The meal was quite satisfying. We had hash browns, eggs, waffles, fruit and tea.

My brother and I are vegetarians, so my parents only cooked a few slices of ham for themselves. The meal was easy to prepare, easy to clean up, and we had no leftovers. No one had to spend the day in the kitchen. After eating, none of us felt uncomfortably full. Unlike other Christmases, we had energy to do more than sit in front of the television and doze.

The meal also helped us identify with people who do not have the money or the kitchen facilities to prepare and serve an elaborate meal on Christmas. We hope to have a Christmas brunch again this year. We have learned that for us, it is the time we spend together, rather than the food we eat, that helps us to truly celebrate Christ's birth. -- Kate Parks

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House Blessing

Last year my family and I created a little ceremony to bless our home. We did it with friends this year and it was a truly magical event. The spontaneous additions from our friends made the event heartwarming and joyous.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to spend the Christmas holidays in Germany with relatives. On Epiphany we were visited by "star kinder" and the Magi. They sang songs at our doorstep, collected money for a local charity and then carefully chalked the year and C+B+M on the door. The initials stood for the names of the three Magi but also for a Latin phrase which translates, "Christ bless this home."

I wanted to bring a little of that celebration to our home. On Epiphany, we began our ceremony by singing "We Three Kings" and exiting the house to face the front door. We shared brief prayers of thanksgiving for the blessings we had received during the year and asked God to watch over our home, our family and all who may enter during the year. We asked for guidance to open our home to those in need. The door was carefully marked with the year and C+B+M.

We proceeded singing to the back door, repeated a brief prayer, marked the door and reentered our home. Our friends added a beautiful rendition of a song, "Bless this House" (I think). We all joined in by humming or singing a word here and there.

All through the year I am reminded of my blessings as I pass the chalked message on my door.


Maria Patrick Oakley, First Presbyterian Church, Buffalo, NY


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CHRISTMAS, OR WINTER HOLIDAY? LET'S BE HONEST!


In the local drugstore---before Thanksgiving, of course---the Hallmark tree ornament display is already enticing shoppers. Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara "Christmas" tree ornaments??? What on earth do THEY have to do with Christmas?!? Well, actually, what does 99% of the things we refer to as "Christmas ___________" have to do with Christ's Mass/ Christmas/ the birth of Christ? In most cases, absolutely nothing. I got to thinking.

The way we use words shapes the way we perceive reality (OK, so I was a Linguistics major...). I began to use a little test for myself and the way I use the word "Christmas"---here's how it goes. If the item helps me focus my thoughts and my attention on God's gift of Christ to our world, then I'll continue to use the word "Christmas" to refer to it. If the item doesn't focus my attention on Christ and His message---or, worse, distracts me from Him and His message---then I will think of that item, and refer to it, as a "Winter Holiday _________."

Some examples...

The mail is full of catalogs inviting us to buy, buy, buy gifts for all those near and dear to us...and for anyone and everyone else, too, for that matter. "Christmas" gifts? Well, in most cases, no, not really; I notice that while flipping through the catalogs, my thinking runs more along the lines of "If I get that for so-and-so, I'll almost have them 'taken care of'...then, I can mark THEM off my list!" Nope, those would be "Winter Holiday" gifts, for sure.

The mail also contains requests for holiday donations to UNICEF and the local homeless shelter. "Even as you did it unto those who are considered by other people to be the least of these...." Yes, those would definitely be "Christmas" donations, I decide, with a lump in my throat.

We sing "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" in church, and I ponder the lyrics: "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good-will to men." My thoughts wander to my own efforts to be an instrument of God's peace, and our Peace Resource Center committee's work on a flier that can alert parents to the dangers of buying "murder simulator" video games for their young ones. Yes, that was definitely a Christmas song.

Later, we sing "Joy to the World," and I join our Church Family in bursting forth with the jubilant strains of the wonderful carol. As I'm singing, though, I realize that my mind has strayed to my hefty list of self-imposed "gotta-do's" for the season and all the special events that surround it.

Oops. That wonderful CHRISTMAS song became for me, at that moment, simply a "Winter Holiday" song, since I was letting my thoughts be distracted by the tinsel and the glitter, focused away from---instead of upon---the joy that came to the world in Christ's birth.

We are surrounded by an absolute avalanche of stuff that claims to be "Christmas" this, or "Christmas" that...cookies, candy, jewelry, cards, clothes, house decorations, ornaments, lawn decorations, license plate frames, pens, socks, songs, programs, plays, parties...you name it! So, YOU give them the test; are they "Christmas"?...or are they "Winter Holiday"?

Not to say that "Winter Holiday" things are inherently bad, but let's just be honest with ourselves, shall we?

I shared my thoughts with my Church Family last Advent Season during our "Joys and Concerns" portion of the service. Later that day at home, I sorted through a box we'd just brought in from the garage marked CHRISTMAS CLOTHES & JEWELRY. I thought wryly that I'd need to re-label the box. Upon finding an unopened package of holiday pantyhose that our teenage daughter had long since outgrown, I thought of Chelsea, a much younger girl in our church. I described them to her mom on the phone and asked her if Chelsea would like them. After checking with her daughter, the mom chuckled and replied, "Chelsea wants to know if they're CHRISTMAS stockings, or WINTER HOLIDAY stockings!" Thank you, Chelsea! -- Linda K. Williams


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NIFTY BAGS, GIFTY BAGS!

(To the tune of "Jingle Bells")

(Begin with the tune of "Dashing through the snow...")

Miles and miles of wrapping paper,
miles and miles of tape,
miles of ribbon, tons of bows,
past Christmas, what's their fate?

They end up in our city dumps--
at best, recycling bins---
instead of making tons of trash,
we can "wrap" our presents in...

CHORUS ("Jingle bells...")

Nifty bags, gifty bags,
earth-friendly drawstring bags!
Reduce consumption,
simplify your life year after year!

Nifty bags, thrifty bags,
festive drawstring bags!
Just think what you'll do with
all those hours and dollars saved each year!


Submitted by Linda K. Williams


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ADVENT JOY CONCERT--DIALOGUE

by Lynn Rossiter

I.

Scene: Mrs. B is busy with something-maybe sorting baby clothes, or folding laundry. She works with her back to the audience and at a little distance from her husband. Mr. B is relaxing, reading the paper with his stockinged feet up. Pieces for a complicated nativity set are in a pile on a table near Mr. B. Mr. B's travel diary is on the table too. Their six year-old daughter Brittany is holding her stuffed dog, Murphy. Murphy is dressed for Christmas. Brittany is looking for attention.

(Brittany goes to Daddy first and helps Murphy to tickle his toes.)

Mr. B: (laughs) Who is tickling me? (Pretending not to know, he lowers his paper and spies his daughter.) Brittany!

Brittany: (laughing) No! It was Murphy!

(Mr. B gives Brittany a loving look, laughs again, and returns to his paper. Brittany stares at the paper just an instant before she helps Murphy tickle Daddy's toes again.

Mr. B laughs but doesn't move his paper. Brittany gives a little sigh and moves on to Mommy.)

Brittany: Mommy, (a little louder:) Mommy. (She waits until she has her mother's attention.) Play with me!

Mrs. B: (turning around, stressed, but managing a loving response)

Sweetheart! I don't have time right now. I have so much to do. You know our new baby Manuelito is arriving from Guatemala tomorrow! (Brittany looks sad. She is not happy to be reminded of the new brother.)

(Mrs. B raises her voice and looks toward her husband with a smile.)

Let's ask Daddy. He looks ready to play. (Mr. B raises his eyebrows over his paper, acknowledges his wife with a chuckle and sets his paper aside.)

(Mrs. B moves toward her husband.) The nativity set is a mess. Maybe you two could set the pieces right. (Directly to her husband in a quiet voice:) I need you to take care of Brittany while I work(Mr. B smiles and nods)Thanks! (She returns to her work.)

Mr. B: Come here, for a hug, my little(searching for a funny name)...rutabaga pie!

(Brittany moves with a sad face to her Daddy.) You look sad(he waits for Brittany to explain)

Brittany: I hate that new baby!

(Brittany moves into her Daddy's comforting embrace.)

II.

Mr. B: Are you feeling a little better?

Brittany: (nods 'yes' and moves out of Daddy's embrace into a nearby chair) Uh, huh, but, daddy, we don't need a Guatemala baby. Let's just get a baby here.

Mr. B: Mommy and I have prayed about that. God has shown us that baby Mannuel is for us--We have no doubt--Little Manuelito is our baby--your little brother--for sure! (Pick up baby Jesus from the Nativity set. Pause thoughtfully.) Look at baby Jesus. You love baby Jesus very much. (Brittany nods in agreement.) Jesus wasn't born here, was he?

Brittany: No. Jesus was a Bethlehem baby.

Mr. B: That's right! Jesus was a Bethlehem baby. See, everybody doesn't have to be born here. There are lots of great places to be born. I was born in Bergen, Norway. Mommy was born in Martin, South Dakota. Aunt Shirley was born in Japan.

People you know and love, come from many places. But, Manuelito will be the first one you know who comes from Guatemala. He will be the first one to bring you the love and joy and wisdom of all the people of Guatemala. As you and Manuelito grow, we will travel to his country many times soon it will become just like home to you. So, you are not only gaining a brother, you are gaining a whole country!

And you, Murphy I've never asked you!--Where were you born? (Murphy whispers in his ear. Mr. B acts surprised.) Really, Murphy? (Murphy nods.) He says he's from the city of Tianjan, not far from Beijing, China! (Mr. B and Brittany look at Murphy who is nods enthusiastically.)

Mr. B and Brittany together: (laughing and tickling Murphy) "Oh, Murphy!

III.

Mr. B: Let's get started on this job Mommy gave us. Do you remember who first had the idea for nativity sets?

Brittany: St. Francis!

Mr. B: That's right! St. Francis. He wanted to tell people the story of Jesus' birth in a meaningful, memorable, new way! He used real people, live animals, and an outdoor setting. People liked his idea so much, that they copied it - his idea spread fast! Today, as I travel to many parts of the world, I see models of the nativity everywhere, and it all started in Italy, with St. Francis!

I've made notes about Christmas in my travel journal(picks up the journal and finds the appropriate page). I'll read out loud while you work.

First, where does the word "Christmas" come from? "Christmas" means mass, or worship service, for Christ -- Christ-mass, Christ-mas!

When did Christmas start? It started with special communion services in the very first Christian churches that formed after Jesus' death and resurrection. These churches were in lands around the Mediterranean Sea.

Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25th? Jesus' actual birthday is not known. So, in the beginning, churches celebrated Christmas on different days. Then, about five hundred years after Jesus was born, church leaders in Rome fixed Jesus' birthday on December 25th, because it coincided with various non-Christian holidays. Church leaders reasoned that while the heathen were busy with their ceremonies, Christians could carry out their religious festivals in peace! Our church is a distant relative of those churches based in Rome, so we celebrate Christmas on December 25th. But, some other churches around the world celebrate Christmas on other days. In the Christian Church in Egypt, Christmas is celebrated on December 7th.

(looking at Brittany) Speaking of church, I think you might be old enough to come to the Christmas Eve candlelight service this year. Would you like that?

Brittany: (excited) Yes!

IV.

Mr. B: (back to the journal) Christmas celebrations, like everything else, keep changing. Christmas today is nothing like the first simple festivals, where a few Christians gathered together to remember, and to share communion with Christ. Especially here, in the United States, we have an overwhelming variety of ways to celebrate Christmas. Where did all these Christmas ideas, programs, and products come from?

First of all, we have the inspiration of the Bible stories. The stories of Jesus' birth have inspired songs, legends, and beliefs from faithful people of every land. Today we have a great global treasury of Christmas music and traditions inspired by the Bible.

Second, Christians have always taken the most appealing and beautiful customs from the outside world, and added them to Christmas. Our Christmas feasts, music, ornaments, greenery, Yule logs, bells, candles, lights, spirit of goodwill, charity, and(attract Brittany's attention:) presents---all of these wonderful parts of Christmas--have roots outside the Bible, outside the church. Fireworks, bullfights, and roasted goat also fall into the category of originating outside the church. They are not usually a part of our family's Christmas, but they are part of Christmas for some Christians.

Brittany: Presents! That's my favorite part of Christmas!

Mr. B: Think of a favorite Christmas present.

Brittany: My Christmas kitty, Snowflake! Except I was allergic to Snowflake and we had to take him back. (thoughtful pause) I think I might be allergic to Manuelito!

V.

Mr. B: (laughs) You won't be allergic to Manuelito! Manuelito is a Christmas present that is not covered with cat fur!

Here's something that might interest you. At various times, and in various places, people have said, Whoa!! Look at what we're doing! We've lost the real meaning of Christmas! Then Church leaders emphasize religious practices, and ban or discourage worldly practices. You've heard of the Pilgrims. (Brittany nods) Well, in Colonial days, Puritans in Massachusetts were fined 5 shillings if they were caught feasting, singing, decorating their houses, or celebrating Christmas in any way. Of course that meant no Christmas presents for Puritan children, or anyone! Today, with so much Christmas busy-ness, some of us also might be in danger of forgetting about the birthday boy!

Brittany: (indignant) I wouldn't forget Jesus!

Mr. B: Good! Jesus never forgets you!

Brittany: Daddy, look at Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. Three. Three is just the right number for a family!

Mr. B: Jesus wasn't in a family of three for very long. According to St. Matthew, Chapter 13, Jesus had four brothers named James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, and several sisters. So, Mary and Joseph had at least eight children!

Brittany: That's a lot of children!

Mr. B: But Mary and Joseph loved them all!(pause)There is a wonderful saying in Denmark: If there is room in the heart, there is room in the home. Let me check your heart. (Mrs. B comes over to watch as Mr. B puts his hands on Brittany's shoulders, closes his eyes, and drops his head slightly to concentrate.) Why, Brittany! You have a very big heart! (Mr. B pockets baby Jesus as Mrs. B is speaking.)

Mrs. B: Brittany does have a very big heart! At church, she heard about children who were cold and hungry. She brought this news to her teacher and classmates at school. She helped the whole class contribute warm clothing.

Brittany: (smiling)...Yes, I did!

VI.

Mr. B: Did you know, Brittany, that today many places around the world have no Christmas? (Wait for an answer.)

Many places in India, Japan, and China have no Christmas, because there are very few Christians. If you do find a Christmas celebration, it is likely to be modest, or not religious.

In India, you will find a few Christians in tropical areas. Before Christmas, these people decorate mango or banana trees and use mango leaves and flowers to decorate their homes. In southern India, Christians place small, clay, oil lamps on flat rooftops, and on the tops of walls. The lamps generate curiosity and give Christians an opportunity to share the Christmas story. Be ready to stay up late: The Christmas service in India begins at midnight on Christmas Day and finishes between 2 and 3 am in the morning!

In China, in addition to attending church, you may find Christians celebrating by lighting their houses with colorful paper lanterns, and decorating Christmas trees with paper chains, flowers, and other ornaments. These trees are called "trees of light.". There are a few children who hang stockings, and wait expectantly for "Christmas Old Man." The vast majority of Chinese are non-Christian. Their main winter celebration is Chinese New Year, which occurs near the end of January. It is a time when children receive new clothing, new toys, and enjoy fireworks displays.

In both India and Japan, there is a fascination with western ways. Christmas cards, books, artificial trees, lights, and decorations are on sale in big city stores. So, many families living in cities practice some Christmas customs, but these customs are not rooted Christian doctrine.

Brittany: What does that mean, "customs not rooted in Christian dock train"?

Mr. B: We were just talking about how some people have Jesus' birthday party, but forget the birthday boy.(Brittany nods)Well, these folks have the birthday party, but they've never even met the birthday boy!

VII.

Mr. B: Christianity is growing fastest today in African countries south of the Sahara Desert. Here's an example of a typical Christmas celebration in Africa:

If you're a Christian, Church attendance Christmas morning is an absolute must! If you never attend church for the rest of the year, you must go to church on Christmas Day! Adults do their best to provide a new outfit for each child to wear to church. Adults may have new clothes for Christmas too, but only after they have provided for the children.

If you're not a Christian, you might spend all Christmas morning, and maybe a good part of Christmas afternoon, wondering when the church service will end, and the party begin! Christmas parties are community celebrations. Everyone is invited!

Once home from church, women enjoy the company of other women as they cook great quantities of food. Money is pooled to buy food and drink. If the group can afford it, whole animals, like cows, or goats, are bought and roasted over open fires, generally by the men. Socializing, feasting, singing, and dancing continue until late into the night.

There are so many different ways to celebrate Christmas! The Church in Egypt, called the Coptic Church began when St. Mark brought Christianity to Alexandria, Egypt. (This was when Nero was Emperor of Rome.) The church continues to this day, with branches in many countries. Well, in the Coptic Church, the spiritual discipline of fasting is emphasized for healthy adults, so, for forty days before Christmas, Christians are encouraged to fast. (During a Coptic fast you must not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset. During the fast all animal products are forbidden - no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, butter, or cheese.) Prayer and fasting can purify the body, strengthen the spirit, and open the heart to God. Ideally, when you enter the church on Christmas Eve, having fasted, and wearing new clothes, you enter very clean--inside and out! At midnight, church bells signal the end of the Christmas Eve service. Everyone heads home for Christmas dinner. Christmas Day is spent visiting friends and neighbors and sharing small gifts of special foods.

Brittany: (Brittany remembers a fact about Jesus;) Jesus fasted.

Mr. B: Yes! Jesus knew how to feast, and he knew how to fast!

VIII.

Mr. B: In some communities, animals are given special attention at Christmas time.

Brittany: I decorate the trees for the birds with strings of fruits and seeds and nuts. I leave carrots for Santa's reindeer!

Mr. B: That's right! As a boy in Norway, I also put out special food for the birds. This is a common practice in northern European countries where the winters are harsh. Also, people in the farming communities of northern Europe take special care of their farm animals at Christmas time, as well as the birds because they believe that animals and birds were the only ones present with Mary and Joseph at the birth of the baby Jesus.

In Spain, it is the cows that are treated especially well at Christmas time. Spanish folks are forever grateful for the cow in the stable who breathed on the newborn Christ Child to keep him warm.

This doesn't have to do with animals, but I see here in my journal that it is in Spain where prisoners with light offenses are set free on Christmas Eve!

Camels! I mustn't forget camels! The twelfth day after Christmas is called Epiphany. Epiphany celebrates the arrival of the Wise Men. Epiphany is celebrated in various special ways in southern Europe - and other places - but it is in the Spanish-speaking world where Christmas Day has been a strictly religious holiday--that Epiphany is a day for celebration; it is a great big feasting, present-giving, party day! And, instead of leaving carrots for reindeer, children leave straw for the camels and are rewarded with presents from the Wise Men!

Brittany: (thoughtfully:) I could leave straw for the camels and see what happens! I could leave two bunches of straw for the camels, one from me, and one from Manuelito! And see what happens!

IX.

Mr. B: I think straw for the camels from you and Manuelito is a great idea! And, look! You've done a fine job setting up our Nativity scene.

Brittany: But, Daddy! I can't find baby Jesus!

Mrs. B: You did do a very nice job, Honey. I've finished my work. I'll help you look.

Mr. B: I hope we find him. What good is Christmas without God's gift, Emmanuel!

Brittany: Emmanuel! Emmanuel! That sounds like Manuel! Manuelito!

Mr. B: "Manuel" means Emmanuel, "God with us." "Manuelito," Little "God with us!"! Oh! I found baby Jesus. Now, how did he get in my pocket?

(Mr. B, Mrs. B, and Brittany share in the little joke.)

Brittany: (puts Jesus in the manger) Now everything is just right!

Mr. B: Yes, everything is just right!

The world has its Emanuel and, tomorrow, we'll have our

Family: Manuelito!

The End


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This page updated 12 Dec. 2013 (14 July 2001)

 

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